Dissociation and the severity of bulimic psychopathology among eating‐disordered and non‐eating‐disordered women

Abstract

AbstractThis study examines the relationship between dissociation and eating psychopathology in bulimic women and a matched comparison group. The eating‐disordered group had significantly higher scores on all scales of the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES II). A preliminary investigation of the nature of the dimensional relationship between dissociation and bulimic behaviours was carried out among the eating‐disordered women by examining the associations between specific aspects of eating psychopathology and specific aspects of dissociation. The dissociative characteristic of depersonalization and derealization was positively correlated with scores on the bulimia and oral control subscales of the Eating Attitudes Test. The dissociative characteristic of amnesia was positively correlated with the bulimic behaviour of bingeing. The results are discussed in the context of current conceptualizations of bulimic behaviours and dissociation, which emphasize the defensive function of both these behaviours. Suggestions are made for further research, and the clinical implications of the findings are discussed.