Depression modulates non-eating-disordered psychopathology in eating-disordered patients

Abstract

The general psychopathology in subgroups of inpatients with eating disorders was investigated with the MMPI. One hundred and sixty-three females were diagnosed according to both DSM-III-R and DSM-IV into four subgroups: 1a) DSM-III-R anorexia nervosa-restricting subtype (AN-R), 1b) DSM-IV anorexia nervosa-restricting subtype (AN-R), 2a) DSM-III-R anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (AN-B), and 2b) DSM-IV anorexia nervosa binge/purge type (AN-BP), 3) bulimia nervosa with no history of anorexia nervosa (BN), and 4) bulimia nervosa with a history of anorexia nervosa (BN hx AN). Subjects also completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results indicated a common core disturbance, and significant group differences in overall profiles and severity of psychopathology. The results differed slightly between DSM-III-R and DSM-IV. The dual-diagnosis groups (AN-B and BN-hx-AN) displayed the most psychopathology, and AN-R displayed the least. With the former nosological system, there were slightly more differences between the diagnostic subgroups. When level of depressive symptoms (BDI score) was coearied, most of the direrences between the diagnostic subgroups were no longer present. Only the Psychopathic Deviate scale remained significantly diferent between groups, with .4N-R displaying lower levels than the other three groups.