BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) could be subdivided into clinically meaningful groups reflecting the complex patterns of eating disorder symptoms and personality characteristics that face the clinician. METHODS:Seventy patients diagnosed with BN using the Eating Disorder Examination were assessed with measures of negative affect, attachment patterns, and interpersonal problems. An exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. RESULTS: The study found two main subtypes differing primarily in terms of symptom severity and level of negative affect, but these subtypes were further subdivided into four clinically relevant subtypes: A dietary restraint/negative affect/high symptomatic group, an emotionally overcontrolled group, a low dietary restraint/emotionally underregulated group, and a high functioning/securely attached group. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that cluster-analytic studies, including a broad range of instruments measuring eating disorder symptoms as well as negative affect, relational patterns, and other personality characteristics, may contribute to an integration of previously suggested models of subtypes in BN.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to investigate whether patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) could be subdivided into clinically meaningful groups reflecting the complex patterns of eating disorder symptoms and personality characteristics that face the clinician. METHODS: Seventy patients diagnosed with BN using the Eating Disorder Examination were assessed with measures of negative affect, attachment patterns, and interpersonal problems. An exploratory hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. RESULTS: The study found two main subtypes differing primarily in terms of symptom severity and level of negative affect, but these subtypes were further subdivided into four clinically relevant subtypes: A dietary restraint/negative affect/high symptomatic group, an emotionally overcontrolled group, a low dietary restraint/emotionally underregulated group, and a high functioning/securely attached group. CONCLUSIONS: The study indicates that cluster-analytic studies, including a broad range of instruments measuring eating disorder symptoms as well as negative affect, relational patterns, and other personality characteristics, may contribute to an integration of previously suggested models of subtypes in BN.
Authors: Carolyn M Pearson; Jason M Lavender; Li Cao; Stephen A Wonderlich; Ross D Crosby; Scott G Engel; James E Mitchell; Carol B Peterson; Scott J Crow Journal: J Abnorm Psychol Date: 2017-07
Authors: Mette S Nielsen; Bodil Just Christensen; Julie Berg Schmidt; Louise Tækker; Lotte Holm; Susanne Lunn; Christian Ritz; Nicolai J Wewer Albrechtsen; Jens Juul Holst; Theresia M Schnurr; Torben Hansen; Carel W le Roux; Thomas Bøker Lund; Andrea Karen Floyd; Anders Sjödin Journal: Int J Obes (Lond) Date: 2020-04-23 Impact factor: 5.095