Am J Psychiatry 1989; 146:162-169
Copyright © 1989 by American Psychiatric Association
How are depression and bulimia related?
AB Levy, KN Dixon and SL Stern
Department of Psychiatry, Ohio State University 43210.
The idea that bulimia may be related to affective illness was encouraged by
early reports of a high prevalence of clinical depression in bulimic
patients as well as a high lifetime prevalence of depression in the
families of these patients. More recent evidence suggests, however, that
bulimia and major depression are distinct entities. The authors review
clinical data, family studies, pharmacotherapy, and the neurobiology of
bulimia and discuss the nature of the relationship between depression and
bulimia.
