Restricters who purge:Implications of purging behavior for psychopathology and classification of anorexia nervosa

Abstract

The significance of purging behavior that occurs in the absence of binge eating in anorexia nervosa was examined. Fifty-two women with anorexia nervosa were divided into 3 groups: 26 nonpurging or “pure” restricters, 18 purging restricters, and 8 bulimic (or binge-and-purge) individuals. Results demonstrated that purging restricters, compared to nonpurging restricters, exhibited significantly more body distortion on the Body Distortion Questionnaire, weight concern on the Eating Disorder Inventory, external locus of control on the Rotter Locus of Control Scale, depression on the Beck Depression Inventory, and general psychopathology on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2. There were no significant differences between nonpurging and purging restricters on the Family Environment Scale. Bulimic individuals did not show levels of psychopathology consistently as high as the purging restricter group. It was concluded that purging behavior in and of itself is a salient and valid marker for subtyping anorexia neruosa. Possible dqerences between groups in terms of etiology and tmatrnent approach are discussed.