Traumatic events and post-traumatic symptoms in anorexia nervosa

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographic and clinical variables of the sample.

	RAN (n = 40) Mean (SD)	BPAN (n = 37) Mean (SD)	t	p
Age, years	24.85 (9.54)	26.08 (8.59)	−.593	.555
Duration of illness, years	8.77 (9.57)	8.88 (8.04)	−.054	.957
Age at illness onset, years	17.92 (3.79)	17.48 (4.90)	.436	.664
BMI*	14.64 (2.01)	15.59 (1.62)	−1.964	.054

BMI = body mass index; RAN: restricting anorexia nervosa; BPAN: binge-purging anorexia nervosa.

*available for 73 participants (34 BPAN and 39 RAN) because 4 patients were weight-restored.

Table 2. Differences in type and number of traumatic experiences (TEs) between participants with anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (RAN) and binge purging subtype (BPAN).

	RAN (n = 40) N(%)	BPAN (n = 37) N(%)	Chi squared	p
Natural disaster	3(7.5)	0(0)	3.215	.073
Accidents or explosions	0(0)	0(0)
Car or train, or flight accident	1(2.5)	1(2.7)	<.001	.984
Severe accidents on job place, or at home	0(0)	0(0)
Exposure to toxic substances	0(0)	0(0)
Physical violence	(25)	4(10.8)	.668	.414
Being assaulted with a weapon	0(0)	0(0)
Sexual assault	1(2.5)	4(10.8)	1.845	.174
Other kind of sexual assaults	1(2.5)	7(18.9)	4.872	.027
Exposure to fights	0(0)	0(0)
Being kidnapped	0(0)	0(0)
Physical illness	8(20)	8(21.6)	.004	.991
Severe human suffering	5(12.5)	2(5.4)	1.515	.218
Sudden or violent death	2(5)	1(2.7)	1.117	.291
Unexpected close person’s death	7(17.5)	3(8.1)	1.237	.226
Serious harm or death of someone caused right from her	0(0)	0(0)
Any other traumatic or stressful event	6(15)	7(18.9)	.063	.522
No events	4(10)	0(0)	.063	.801
	RAN (n = 36) Mean (SD)	BPAN (n = 37) Mean (SD)	t	p
Number of TEs	3.14 (2.39)	4.44 (2.25)	−2.409	.019

Table 3. Differences in post-traumatic symptoms and emotion dysregulation between patients with anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (RAN) and binge purging subtype (BPAN).

Total sample (n = 73)			Test statistics
	RAN (n = 36) Mean (SD)	BPAN (n = 37) Mean (SD)	t	t-test p-value	ANCOVA p-value
IES-R intrusion	11.94 (10.71)	19.30 (10.29)	−2.992	.004	.031
IES-R avoidance	9.89 (8.98)	17.43 (8.98)	−3.589	.001	.009
IES-R hyper-arousal	6.94 (7.89)	14.30 (8.79)	−3.758	<.001	.002
DERS	101.72 (21.524)	117.92(20.465)	−3.272	.002	.007

IES-R = Impact of Events Scale Revised.

DERS = Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale.