Introduction: Studies analyzing the relationship between sexual abuse and bulimia nervosa (BN) have reported discrepant results. This study aimed to assess the role of a history of sexual abuse in the clinical status of a group of patients diagnosed of BN using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria.
Methods: Seventy patients with BN were assessed using specific clinical tools: Eating Attitudes Test-40 items (EAT-40), Bulimia Investigation Test Edinburgh (BITE), Symptom Checklist (SCL-90), Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II), Sixteen Personality Factors Test (16-PF) and a clinical interview for the assessment of past and current substance abuse. The data from the 15 patients with a history of sexual abuse (21.4 % of the sample) were compared with those from the 55 patients without such a history.
Results: Both groups were very similar regarding symptom severity. Only the tendency to somatization and higher scores in the factor E of the 16-PF (dominance) were associated with antecedents of sexual abuse in the sample.
Conclusions: The results support the idea that sexual abuse may be related to higher non-specific vulnerability to psychopathology, but do not increase symptom severity in BN patients.