Eating and affective disorders: A comparative study

Background: The relationship between eating disorders and affective disorders still remains unclear. Eating disordered patients may have affective disorders and vice versa, depressed and maniac patients may experience eating problems. Aim: To compare eating symptoms, attitudes and behaviors in patients with affective disorders and normal subjects, Subjects and methods. A structured clinical interview, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40) and the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) were administered to 194 patients That fulfilled the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for eating disorders, to 45 patients with affective disorders and to 82 normal female students. Results: Patients with eating disorders ranked significantly higher on the EAT-40 and on the EDI and its factors (p <0.001). Patients with affective disorders ranked between eating disordered patients and the students (p <0.001). Compulsive-purgative type of anorectics and purgative type of bulimics showed the highest scores on these measures (p <0.001). Restrictive type of anorectics scored significantly highest on EDI maturity fears item (p <0.001). Not significant difference was observed on the EDI ineffectiveness item, between purgative bulimics and depressive patients and between the latter and compulsive-purgative anorexics, on the EDI interpersonal distrust item. Conclusions: Compulsive-purgative, type of anorectics and purgative type of bulimics showed the more severe psychological and behavioral disturbances. Restrictive types of anorectics were the most immature. Both purgative bulimics and depressive patients showed feelings of general inadequacy, and both compulsive-purgative anorexics and depressive patients displayed an interpersonal distrust. As a whole, patients with affective disorders did not show the core eating disordered behaviors and attitudes as seen in patients suffering from eating problems.