Mood disorders in eating disorder patients: Prevalence and chronology of ONSET

Abstract

Objectives: In a clinical population, we estimated the frequency of mood disorders among 271 patients suffering from Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Bulimia Nervosa (BN) in comparison to a control group matched for age and gender.

Method: The frequency of mood disorders was measured using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), DSM-IV version.

Results: Mood disorders were more frequent among eating disorder (ED) patients than among controls, with a global prevalence of the order of 80% for each ED group. The majority of the mood disorders comorbid with ED were depressive disorders (MDD and dysthymia). The relative chronology of onset of these disorders was equivocal, because mood disorders in some cases preceded and in others followed the onset of the eating disorders.

Limitations: Our sample was characterized by patients with severe ED and high comorbidities, and thus do not represent the entire population of AN or BN. This also may have resulted in an overestimation of prevalence.

Conclusion: Mood disorders appear significantly more frequently in patients seeking care for ED than in controls. These results have implications for the assessment and treatment of ED patients, and for the aetio-pathogenesis of these disorders.

Keywords: Age of onset; Anorexia nervosa; Bulimia; Comorbidity; Eating disorders; Mood disorders.