Objective: To determine whether the presence of anxiety disorders is related to depressive comorbidity in subjects with eating disorders (ED), while taking into account certain variables that may be related to depression (subjects' age, ED duration, prior incidents of anorexia nervosa in bulimic subjects, inpatient or outpatient status, nutritional state [as measured by body mass index]).
Method: We evaluated the frequency of depressive disorders in 271 subjects presenting with a diagnosis of either anorexia nervosa or bulimia, using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, DSM-IV version.
Results: A multivariate analysis reveals that anxiety disorders do not all have the same influence in terms of risk of onset of major depressive episode in anorexics and bulimics when adjusted on variables related to depression.
Conclusion: Depression in subjects with ED can be explained in part by comorbidity with obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety, social phobia, and panic disorder.