Comparative psychopathology of women with bulimia nervosa and obsessive-compulsive disorder

Compr Psychiatry. 1992 Jul-Aug;33(4):262-8. doi: 10.1016/0010-440x(92)90051-q.

Abstract

Twenty women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 20 women with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were compared on responses to the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Multivariate analyses showed no significant differences between bulimic and OCD women on the MMPI, although a greater number of bulimic women showed significant elevations on several of the clinical scales. Analyses of SCL-90-R profiles indicated higher scores on somatization, interpersonal sensitivity, and psychoticism in the BN sample. Bulimic women did not differ significantly from OCD women on either obsessive-compulsive measures or other measures of anxiety. Similarities and differences in symptom profiles between these two groups are discussed, as well as their implications for alternative treatment approaches for BN.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anxiety Disorders / diagnosis
  • Anxiety Disorders / psychology
  • Body Weight
  • Bulimia / diagnosis*
  • Bulimia / psychology
  • Depressive Disorder / diagnosis
  • Depressive Disorder / psychology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • MMPI / statistics & numerical data
  • Middle Aged
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / diagnosis*
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / psychology
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data*
  • Psychometrics