Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare bulimia nervosa (BN) and substance use disorders (SUD) in cognitive-motivational terms. The cognitive orientation theory was used as a framework for testing the hypothesis that the commonality between BN and SUD consists of a similar motivational disposition for eating disorders, rather than for addiction, as was previously claimed. It was expected that BN and SUD patients would differ from controls but not from each other. The participants were 31 BN, 20 SUD, and 20 healthy controls. They were administered questionnaires for assessing anxiety, depression, addiction and the cognitive orientation for eating disorders. On most parameters BN and SUD scored higher than controls but did not differ from each other except in norm beliefs. Treatment of BN should consider the similarity of BN to SUD in the pathological tendency for eating disorders.
Our thanks are due to the following departments in which the study took place: The Child and Adolescent Psychosomatic Department and the Adult Weight and Eating Disorders Center, The Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel; different Israeli centers for the management of drug addiction (The Drug Enforcement Agency, “Malkishua”, The Halfway House for Women in Haifa, “Haderech” on Gesher Hasiv, the Center for Drug Withdrawal in Jaffa, the Rehabilitation Center for Drug Withdrawal in Tel-Aviv, and a private Withdrawal Center in Jaffa). The COQ-ED may be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.
Notes
Kreitler, S. & Nussbaum, S. (1996). Hebrew translation of the Eysenck personality questionnaires. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, Tel–Aviv University.