P02-324 - Obsessive Symptoms and Traits in a Sample of Spanish Outpatients with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

Abstract

Objectives

Nowadays several authors defend the existence of an obsessive-compulsive (OC) spectrum in which eating disorders (ED), especially anorexia nervosa, would be include. We investigated the presence of OC symptoms in bulimic and anorexic patients and its relationships with personality traits.

Method

The Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Questionnaire (MOCQ) and the revised version of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI-R) were administered to patients and healthy controls.

Results

Patients show higher scores than controls in the global punctuation of de MOCQ, and in the checking and doubt subscales. Cases also score higher in harm avoidance (dimension associated with personality disorders of cluster C) and in its subscale anticipatory worry. No differences were found between patients subgroups.

	Restricting Anorexia Nervosa (RAN, n = 21)	Binging-Purging Anorexia Nervosa (BPAN, n = 29)	Bulimia Nervosa (BN, n = 34)	Control (C, n = 52)	p
MOCQ	11.9	12.6	11.8	7.8	<0.001	RAN, BPAN, BN > C
Checking subscale (MOCQ)	3	3.9	3.4	1.7	<0.001	BPAN, BN > C
Cleanness (MOCQ)	3.8	3.8	3.9	3.2	0.36	n. s.
Slowness (MOCQ)	3.2	2.8	2.8	2.8	0.64	n. s
Doubt (MOCQ)	3.8	4	3.7	21.4	<0.001	RAN, BPAN, BN > C
Harm avoidance (TCI-R)	116.1	118.4	116.7	104.5	0.005	BPAN, BN > C
Anticipatory worry vs optimism (TCI-R)	39.2	38.2	38.4	31.9	<0.001	RAN, BPAN, BN > C

[Results]

Conclusions

Patients present more OC behaviours in comparison with healthy population but measures of obsessivity do not differ between the types of ED. Traits of personality characteristically associated to cluster C and to anxiety disorders seem to be also common features. These results do not support a separated classification of RAN into the OC spectrum.