Jauregui Lobera I, Bermudo Parra S, Martinez Lopez MD, Cuadri Galan D, Garrido Casals O, Alvarez Bautista E. Screening for eating disorders in a psychiatric outpatient population.
Eur J Gen Pract 2009;
15:107-11. [PMID:
19606398 DOI:
10.1080/13814780903078729]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Some studies have found "hidden" eating disorders in psychiatric patients. However, eating behaviour, weight, and body image concerns are usually weakly assessed among psychiatric patients.
OBJECTIVES
a) To analyse the prevalence of eating disorders (ED) in patients referred from primary care for psychiatric assessment; and b) to analyse the psychopathological variables associated with these disorders. Methods. Ninety-three patients underwent psychometric assessment using Derogatis' Symptom Checklist-90-R, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and the Body Dissatisfaction Scale of the Eating Disorders Inventory-2. The subsequent clinical assessment, applying DSM-IV-R criteria for ED, was conducted by means of interview with those patients whose scores on the EAT-40 and BITE were above the cut-off points.
RESULTS
The assessments confirmed one case of bulimia nervosa and three of unspecified eating disorder, these accounting for 1.07% and 3.22%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
The existence of hidden ED in psychiatric patients, especially as regards bulimic behaviour, and the correlation between eating disorder symptoms and different psychopathological variables make it important for clinicians to conduct a proper assessment when faced with "anxiety and depressive syndromes", which are a common feature of primary care referrals for psychiatric assessment.
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