Am J Psychiatry 1997; 154:1133-1138
Copyright © 1997 by American Psychiatric Association
Ten-year stability and predictive validity of five bulimia-related indicators
TE Joiner Jr, TF Heatherton and PK Keel
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-0425, USA. Thomas. Joiner@utmb.edu
OBJECTIVE: The authors examined the temporal stability and predictive
utility of bulimic symptoms and related variables over the course of 10
years, from 1982 to 1992. METHOD: The subjects were 459 women who were aged
18-22 years in 1982 and were surveyed in both 1982 and 1992. Each
respondent completed five subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory
(bulimia, drive for thinness, maturity fears, perfectionism, and
interpersonal distrust) and answered questions based on the DSM-III
criteria for bulimia nervosa. RESULTS: The temporal stability of bulimic
symptoms and related variables was relatively high. Bulimic status in 1982
conferred an approximately 15-fold increase in risk 10 years later. Drive
for thinness and, to lesser degrees, maturity fears and perfectionism
received support as long-term predictors of bulimic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:
Bulimic symptoms display high temporal stability and thus may affect
long-term functioning and well-being. Later symptoms are related to scores
on specific subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory administered 10
years earlier. Assessment and therapy should be conducted accordingly.
