Suicide attempts and clinical severity of eating disorders: an exploratory study

ABSTRACT

The present study examines whether eating disorders patients with suicide attempts present differences in disordered eating and clinical traits compared to those without suicide attempts. A total of 144 patients with eating disorders (65 anorexia nervosa and 79 bulimia nervosa) completed the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI; Garner, Omstead & Polivy, 1983), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90; Derrogatis, 1977), and a questionnaire to assess eating behaviors and attitudes, information regarding suicide behaviors and other related traits (PQB and TIB (Machado & Soares, 2000); Cost B6 (Machado & Soares, 2000). Eating disorder patients with suicide attempts differed from there peers regarding to the weight history, mean of binge-purge attacks, use of vomiting to weight control, use of alcohol and psycho tropics, menstrual pattern, sexual attitude, and in some EDI and SCL-90 subscales. The findings of the current study show that suicide attempts are related to some indices of symptom history and severity for both diagnostic groups of eating disorders.