TY - JOUR
T1 - Eating disorders and axis I psychiatric comorbidity in amenorrheic women
AU - Verri, Annapia
AU - Nappi, Rossella E.
AU - Cecchini, Alberto Proietti
AU - Vallero, Emanuela
AU - Luzi, Stefania
AU - Zara, Carlo
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Objective: the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between secondary amenorrhea due to different etiologic mechanisms, eating disorders, and psychiatric morbidity in a nonpsychiatric population observed in a gynecological department. Method: Amenorrheic women (n = 95) with hypogonadotropic, hyperandrogenic, and hyperprolactinemic features were interviewed individually using the SCID-R (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R) to diagnose Axis I disorders including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, adjustment disorders, and eating disorders. Binge eating disorder was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Results: The incidence of eating disorders was significantly higher in hypogonadic women than in hyperandrogenic and hyperprolactinemic subjects (X2 = 23.03, p <.003). However, we also found a high percentage of hyperandrogenic women suffering from an eating disorder (40.9%) with a prevalence of binge eating disorder (27.2%), while the only eating disorder described in the hyperprolactinemic group was the not otherwise specified. In addition, a marked psychiatric comorbidity was found in amenorrheic women suffering from an eating disorder but a similar trend of pathologies was also found in amenorrheic women, without any positive SCID diagnosis for an abnormal eating disorder. Discussion: Our study demonstrated that a high incidence of eating disorders, mainly anorexia and binge eating, characterizes hypogonadic and hyperandrogenic women, respectively. In addition, secondary amenorrhea displays a wide spectrum of Axis I diagnoses, without a significant comorbidity with eating disorders. Whether or not the endocrine findings related to the amenorrheic condition constitute a common background for the occurrence of psychopathology or, alternatively, the presence of psychiatric disturbances may contribute to the development of menstrual dysfunction remain to be clarified.
AB - Objective: the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between secondary amenorrhea due to different etiologic mechanisms, eating disorders, and psychiatric morbidity in a nonpsychiatric population observed in a gynecological department. Method: Amenorrheic women (n = 95) with hypogonadotropic, hyperandrogenic, and hyperprolactinemic features were interviewed individually using the SCID-R (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R) to diagnose Axis I disorders including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, adjustment disorders, and eating disorders. Binge eating disorder was diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria. Results: The incidence of eating disorders was significantly higher in hypogonadic women than in hyperandrogenic and hyperprolactinemic subjects (X2 = 23.03, p <.003). However, we also found a high percentage of hyperandrogenic women suffering from an eating disorder (40.9%) with a prevalence of binge eating disorder (27.2%), while the only eating disorder described in the hyperprolactinemic group was the not otherwise specified. In addition, a marked psychiatric comorbidity was found in amenorrheic women suffering from an eating disorder but a similar trend of pathologies was also found in amenorrheic women, without any positive SCID diagnosis for an abnormal eating disorder. Discussion: Our study demonstrated that a high incidence of eating disorders, mainly anorexia and binge eating, characterizes hypogonadic and hyperandrogenic women, respectively. In addition, secondary amenorrhea displays a wide spectrum of Axis I diagnoses, without a significant comorbidity with eating disorders. Whether or not the endocrine findings related to the amenorrheic condition constitute a common background for the occurrence of psychopathology or, alternatively, the presence of psychiatric disturbances may contribute to the development of menstrual dysfunction remain to be clarified.
KW - Amenorrhea
KW - Axis I diagnoses
KW - Eating disorders
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U2 - 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199809)24:2<137::AID-EAT3>3.0.CO;2-F
DO - 10.1002/(SICI)1098-108X(199809)24:2<137::AID-EAT3>3.0.CO;2-F
M3 - Article
C2 - 9697012
AN - SCOPUS:0031816929
VL - 24
SP - 137
EP - 146
JO - International Journal of Eating Disorders
JF - International Journal of Eating Disorders
SN - 0276-3478
IS - 2
ER -