Daily and momentary mood and stress are associated with binge eating and vomiting in bulimia nervosa patients in the natural environment

J Consult Clin Psychol. 2007 Aug;75(4):629-38. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.75.4.629.

Abstract

The relation of mood and stress to binge eating and vomiting in the natural environments of patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) was examined using real-time data collection. Women (n = 131; mean age = 25.3 years) with BN carried a palmtop computer for 2 weeks and completed ratings of positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), anger/hostility (AH), and stress (STRS); they also indicated binge or vomit episodes (BN-events) 6 times each day. Mixed models were used to compare mood and STRS between and within days when BN-events occurred. Between-days analyses indicated that binge and vomit days both showed less PA, higher NA, higher AH, and greater STRS than days with no BN-events. Within-day, decreasing PA, and increasing NA and AH, reliably preceded BN-events. Conversely, PA increased, and NA and AH decreased following BN-events. Demonstration of the temporal sequencing of affect, STRS, and BN-events with a large BN sample may help advance theory and clinical practice, and supports the view that binge and purge events hold negatively reinforcing properties for women with BN.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Affect*
  • Bulimia Nervosa / epidemiology*
  • Bulimia Nervosa / psychology*
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Periodicity*
  • Social Environment*
  • Stress, Psychological / epidemiology*
  • Stress, Psychological / psychology*
  • Vomiting / epidemiology*