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It has been suggested that various forms of addictive behaviour and substance abuse co-exist more frequently than would be expected by chance. Such co-morbidity may lessen the effectiveness of treatment, and may not be recognized by clinicians who specialize in one particular form of addiction. This study addresses one aspect of this issue: the co-existence of eating disorders and alcohol abuse. Women attending an alcohol treatment unit completed a self-report measure of the clinical features of eating disorders. Thirty-six per cent of the sample reported the symptom of binge-eating, 26% fulfilled diagnostic criteria for a probable current clinical eating disorder, and 19% had a history of probable anorexia nervosa. The findings suggest that the behaviour and attitudes characteristic of clinical eating disorders are over-represented in women receiving treatment for an alcohol problem, and further study of such co-morbidity is merited.

Original publication

DOI

10.1111/j.1360-0443.1990.tb01653.x

Type

Journal article

Journal

Br J Addict

Publication Date

12/1990

Volume

85

Pages

1633 - 1638

Keywords

Adolescent, Adult, Alcoholism, Cross-Sectional Studies, England, Feeding and Eating Disorders, Female, Humans, Incidence, Risk Factors