A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF 33 SUBDIAGNOSTIC EATING-DISORDERED WOMEN

Thirty-three female subjects with subdiagnostic DSM-III-R anorexia ner vosa (SAN) and/or subdiagnostic bulimia nervosa (SBN) were reinterview ed 24 to 52 months (mean 41 months) after seeking treatment for an eat ing disorder. Subjects were administered a semistructured interview by telephone and assessed for level of functioning, eating disorder symp toms, course of illness, and treatment sought. During the course of th e follow-up, 15 (46%) subjects went on to meet full DSM-III-R criteria for AN and/or BN. At follow-up, 4 (12%) met full DSM-III-R criteria f or AN and/or BN, 22 (67%) were subdiagnostic, and 6 (18%) had recovere d. The high percentage of subdiagnostic women that eventually develop full DSM-III-R criteria for AN and/or BN and the low rates of recovery at 2 to 4 years suggest that the current diagnostic criteria may be t oo restrictive. (C) 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.