MMPI performance among women with bulimia: a cluster-analytic study

Forty-two women, meeting criteria for bulimia, completed the MMPI. Cluster analysis of their scores revealed two distinct profile types. The first cluster, comprising about 64% of subjects, produced a mean profile in which only the Pd scale exceeded a t score of 70. In contrast, about 36% of subjects yielded a cluster-derived mean profile that was significantly elevated on many scales, including Pd, D, Pt, and Sc. The existence of these two very different subgroups of women with bulimia replicates previous work in this area and has potentially important implications for the description, treatment, and general understanding of those with this condition.