BODY DISSATISFACTION - A FEATURE OF BULIMIA, DEPRESSION, OR BOTH

We conducted two studies to examine the interrelations of body dissati sfaction, depression, and bulimia. Study 1 was conducted using two sam ples, both nonclinical. Depressed, bulimic, and anxious symptoms, as w ell as body dissatisfaction, were measured among undergraduate females . Consistent with prediction, depression and bulimia were each uniquel y associated with body dissatisfaction, whereas anxious symptoms were not. Study 2 included samples of clinical bulimics, clinical depressiv es, and nonpsychiatric controls. Surprisingly, in an analysis done on the bulimics and controls, depressed symptoms, but not bulimic/nonbuli mic diagnostic status, were uniquely associated with body dissatisfact ion. Similarly, in an analysis done on the clinical depressives and co ntrols, mood-disordered diagnostic status was uniquely associated with body dissatisfaction, whereas bulimic symptoms were not. Implications for the social psychology of body dissatisfaction, as well as the phe nomenology and treatment of bulimia and depression, are discussed.