Self-Injurious Behavior and Attempted Suicide in Purging Bulimia Nervosa: Associations With Psychiatric Comorbidity

This study investigated the Axis I & II comorbidity in 95 Italian subjects with bulimia nervosa who reported self-injurious behaviours &/or suicide attempts. No Axis I diagnosis was associated with any type of self-injurious behaviour whereas social phobia & bipolar disorder were linked to attempted suicide. The presence of a Cluster B personality disorder & a low self-directedness were predictors of suicide attempts. Compulsive self-injurious behaviour was significantly associated with harm avoidance & Cluster C personality disorders. (17 refs.)