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Hypnotizability, dissociation, and bulimia nervosa
N A Covino1, D C Jimerson, B E Wolfe
1Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02215.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
|August 1, 1994
Summary
Bulimic women show higher hypnotizability and dissociation than healthy individuals. These psychological factors may influence the development and treatment of bulimia nervosa.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder with complex psychological underpinnings.
- Previous research suggests potential links between dissociative experiences and eating disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate hypnotizability and dissociation levels in women with bulimia nervosa.
- To compare these levels with healthy controls.
- To explore the relationship between hypnotizability and dissociation in this population.
Main Methods:
- An outpatient sample of 17 normal-weight women with bulimia nervosa and 20 healthy controls participated.
- Standardized measures of hypnotizability were administered.
- A self-report scale assessed dissociative experiences.
Main Results:
- Bulimic patients exhibited significantly higher hypnotizability compared to controls (p < .003).
- Women with bulimia nervosa also scored higher on measures of dissociative experiences (p < .02).
- A significant positive correlation was found between hypnotizability and dissociation in the combined group.
Conclusions:
- Findings align with prior studies on hospitalized patients and students.
- Psychological factors, specifically hypnotizability and dissociation, may be implicated in the etiology of bulimia nervosa.
- These factors could be relevant for therapeutic interventions in bulimia nervosa.