Scope and significance of posttraumatic symptomatology among women hospitalized for an eating disorder.

OBJECTIVE

To examine posttraumatic symptomatology among women with eating disorders.

METHOD

A sample of 294 women diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa (n = 121), bulimia nervosa (n = 103), or eating disorder-not otherwise specified (n = 70) completed a version of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Symptom Scale along with instruments measuring specific eating disorder symptomatology and comorbid psychopathology.

RESULTS

Of the total sample, 154 (52%) reported current symptomatology consistent with PTSD. However, severity of PTSD symptomatology was unrelated to either type or eating disorder or severity of either anorexic or bulimic symptomatology. Severity of PTSD symptoms was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and dissociative experiences.

DISCUSSION

The findings suggest that PTSD symptomatology is common and an important clinical variable among women with eating disorders, although apparently it is not directly related to the eating disorder per se.