Self-injurious behaviour in people with eating disorders

Objectives: To determine the importance of self-injurious behaviour in people with eating disorders (ED) and to analyse the possible differences between ED subtypes. Method: 109 patients with ED (51 anorexia nervosa (AN) and 58 bulimia nervosa (BN)), according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, who were consecutively referred to our unit, participated in this study. All cases were female. Assessment: Subjects were assessed by means of a semi-structured clinical interview and self-report questionnaires (Eating Attitudes Test, EAT-40; Eating Disorders Inventory, EDI; Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh, BITE; Body Shape Questionnaire, BSQ; Beck Depression Inventory, BDI; Social Anxiety Scale, SAD). Design: Comparison of cases by considering the factors diagnosis and self-injurious behaviour. Results: The presence of self-injurious behaviour (SIB) (32% of cases) was not associated with the diagnosis (p = 0.28). There was no association between SIB, suicide attempts, alcohol abuse and stealing, but a positive correlation between SIB and drug abuse was found (r = 0.284, p < 0.003). Likewise, patients with SIB showed higher scores on severity of the disorder (EDI, p < 0.04), depressive symptoms (BDI, p < 0.02), social anxiety (SAD, p < 0.02) and body image dissatisfaction (BSQ, p < 0.03). Conclusions: Eating disorders are pathologies in which self-injurious behaviour will be commonly present. SIB is associated with greater depression and anxiety and in general terms with greater severity of the disorder. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley C Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.