Assessment of diagnostic features of bulimia nervosa: interview versus self-report format

In order to determine the clinical severity of bulimia nervosa and to measure symptomatic improvement during treatment, the behavioral and psychological features of the syndrome must be assessed. Focused semistructured interviews have recently been designed for this purpose, but such instruments can be time-consuming and costly. The present study compared the assessment of the key symptoms of bulimia nervosa using the Eating Disorder Examination with data obtained in self-report inventories and in patients' diaries of binge eating and purging. Results suggest that once the diagnosis has been established and patients have been instructed in the construct of a binge, the essential features of bulimia nervosa (frequency of binge eating and purging, and overconcern with body shape and weight) can be evaluated with self-report measures. These findings may be useful for the purposes of repeated assessment of progress and measurement of outcome in treatment studies.