Depression and drive for thinness are associated with persistent Bulimia Nervosa in the community

OBJECTIVE: To examine psychiatric comorbidity and factors that influence the outcome of bulimia nervosa (BN) in the general population.

METHOD: Women from the nationwide birth cohorts of Finnish twins were screened for lifetime BN (N = 59) by using questionnaires and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. We assessed psychiatric comorbidity and other prognostic factors.

RESULTS: Among women with lifetime BN, the following were more common than among unaffected women: current major depressive disorder (p = 0.004), lifetime major depressive disorder (p = 0.00001) and heavy drinking (p = 0.01). Decreased likelihood of recovery was associated with a history of lifetime major depressive disorder (hazard ratio (HR) 0.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.23-0.84) and high drive for thinness at time of assessment (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.93-0.99).

DISCUSSION: Heavy drinking and depression present challenges for many women with BN. Major depressive disorder emerged as the only statistically significant prognostic factor of BN in this nationwide cohort; high drive for thinness was characteristic of the persistently ill. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.