Abstract
Two groups of patients with bulimia, one with a late onset of the eating disorder (age 25 or beyond, n = 22) and one with a more typical age of onset for the disorder (age 20 or before, n = 22), were compared. The patients in the late onset group were significantly more likely to indicate current or previous chemical dependency problems and previous suicide attempts, and were significantly more likely to be diagnosed as having a current or lifetime affective disorder when evaluated. They were also more depressed when seen for evaluation. However, they had experienced bulimic symptoms for a shorter period of time prior to seeking treatment. The results suggest that late onset bulimia is likely to be associated with other psychopathology including significant depression and drug abuse.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 323-328 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Comprehensive Psychiatry |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1987 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:From the Eating Disorders Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota Medical School. Minneapolis. Supported in part by Grant No. 5 ROI-MH40377-02from the National Institutes of Health. Address reprint requests to James E. Mitchell. M.D.. Mayo Memorial Building, Box 393, 420 Delaware St SE, h4inneapolis. MN 55455. @ 1987 by Grune & Stratton, Inc. OOIO-44OX/87/2804~5$03.00/0
