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Attempted suicide and self-injury in patients diagnosed with eating disorders.

Stein D, Lilenfeld LR, Wildman PC, Marcus MD

The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel. dstein@netvision.net.il

Eating disorders (ED) patients are at high risk for developing suicidal behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate factors associated with suicidal behavior in ED patients. One hundred fifty patients at an outpatient ED clinic were included in the study. Data were gathered by retrospective chart analysis. We found that 48 patients (32%) had a history of parasuicide (i.e., suicide attempts, self-injury, or both). A significantly greater percentage of parasuicidal patients than nonparasuicidal patients had EDs with bingeing/pursing symptomatology, used more than one type of purging method, and had a lifetime history of a drug use disorder, impulse control problems, and bipolar disorder, as well as a more extensive outpatient and inpatient treatment history. The findings of this study support an increased tendency toward impulsivity among parasuicidal ED outpatients.

Published 4 November 2004 in Compr Psychiatry, 45(6): 447-51.
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