Year: 1990 Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, v.147, no.9, (September 1990), p.1184-1188 SIEC No: 19901732

30 female patients with eating disorders were compared with 30 age-matched normal female Ss. Patients demonstrated higher levels of dissociative psychopathology. The presence of severe dissociative experience appeared to be specifically related to a propensity for self-mutilation & suicidal behavior. Findings are discussed in light of recent data which suggest that abnormal neurochemical systems in eating disorder patients may be key pathophysiologic substrates for dissociative experience.