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Psychopathological and clinical features of outpatients with an eating disorder not otherwise specified

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Abstract

In order to investigate similarities and differences between Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) and Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN), we studied a consecutive series of 189 female outpatients attending two Eating Disorder Units. The data were collected by means of interviews (Eating Disorder Examination, EDE 12.0D), the Structured Diagnostic Interview for DSM III-R, (SCID), and self-reported questionnaires (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI, and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI 1–2). The diagnosis of EDNOS was as frequent as that of AN and BN (43.8% versus 43.2%). There were no significant differences between EDNOS and AN/BN patients in terms of their general and specific psychopathological features, but significant differences were observed between bulimic-like and anorectic-like EDNOS patìents, as well as between those with AN and BN. In conclusion, in our clinical setting, the patients with EDNOS and those with typical eating disorders have similar psychopathological features, thus suggesting that EDNOS patients should be further divided into two groups, anorectic-like (similar to AN) and bulimic-like (similar to BN) patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, Psychiatric Unit, V.le Morgagni 85, 50134, Firenze, Italy

    Valdo Ricca M.D., M. Di Bernardo, T. Zucchi, A. Paionni, G. P. A. Placidi & C. Faravelli

  2. Section of Metabolic Diseases and Diabetology, Endocrinology Unit, Department of Pathophysiology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy

    E. Mannucci & C. M. Rotella

  3. Casa di Cura “Villa dei Pini”, Florence, Italy

    B. Mezzani

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  1. Valdo Ricca M.D.
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Ricca, V., Mannucci, E., Mezzani, B. et al. Psychopathological and clinical features of outpatients with an eating disorder not otherwise specified. Eat Weight Disord 6, 157–165 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339765

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