NCJ Number
145355
Journal
International Journal of Eating Disorders Volume: 13 Issue: 1 Dated: (1993) Pages: 1-11
Date Published
1993
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the literature exploring the relationship between sexual abuse and eating disorders; the studies included here have involved both clinical and nonclinical populations.
Abstract
The results reported in these studies have been widely divergent, ranging from conclusions that there is no relationship between eating disturbances and sexual abuse to findings that 66 percent of a sample of bulimics had been physically victimized. Some specific methodological issues include the diagnostic criteria for eating disorders, the accuracy of sexual abuse assessments, and study designs. The authors conclude that, while sexual abuse appears to be an important etiological factor in a number of cases of subsequent eating disorders, abuse is probably neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of these disorders. Sexual abuse, particularly incest, must be considered within the relevant familial context, which might also encourage high levels of addictive disorders, physical and mental neglect, and other psychopathology. Finally, eating disordered patients are a heterogenous group, whose behaviors are distributed along a continuum of psychopathology. The comorbidity of eating disorders with other concurrent pathology complicates the attempt to isolate etiological factors, including child sexual abuse. 1 table and 39 references