Symptom development in bulimia nervosa: A comparison of women with and without a history of anorexia nervosa

Identifying women at risk for developing bulimia nervosa (BN) is an important area of study for psychiatric-mental health nurses. Of those who develop BN, a large proportion of women have been diagnosed earlier with anorexia nervosa (AN). It has been posited that women who are treated for AN are oft...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Archives of psychiatric nursing 2000-04, Vol.14 (2), p.81-92
Main Author: White, Jane H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age of Onset
Anorexia Nervosa - psychology
Body Weight
Bulimia - epidemiology
Bulimia - psychology
Disease Progression
Female
Humans
Nursing
Risk Factors
United States - epidemiology
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Identifying women at risk for developing bulimia nervosa (BN) is an important area of study for psychiatric-mental health nurses. Of those who develop BN, a large proportion of women have been diagnosed earlier with anorexia nervosa (AN). It has been posited that women who are treated for AN are often only partially recovered. Although their weights become clinically acceptable, they often continue to restrict food; this typically leads to a binge eating and purging cycle and the development of BN. A history of AN is viewed as a possible risk factor for the development of BN. This study compared women seeking treatment for BN with a prior history of AN, and those without this history on selected variables. A profile emerged and is described supporting a distinct subgroup with prior AN. Findings from this study have implications for early detection of and extended follow-up care after treatment for AN.
ISSN:0883-9417
1532-8228
DOI:10.1016/S0883-9417(00)80023-0