Familial and sociopsychopathological risk factors for suicide attempt in bulimic and in depressed women: Prospective study

Objective This study was carried out to examine sociopsychopathological predictors of prospective observed suicide attempts in bulimic women purging type without comorbid major depression (BNG) at the time of study entry and in woman with major depression without comorbid eating disorder at the time of study entry (MDG). Methods Data from 28 BNG (age 23.5 ± 3.6) and 126 MDG women (age 33.4 ± 5.1) who had attempted suicide during 12 months' monitoring were compared. Results A univariate comparison of the two groups revealed various differences. Analysis of risk factors for suicide attempts using stepwise logistic regression was conducted separately for each group. The derived logistic models showed that patients from the BNG group had a history of higher incidence of sexual abuse in childhood, as well as abuse of laxatives and illicit drugs; they also lacked orientation in life, felt lonely despite family and friends, tended to direct their anger outward, and were unable to relax. Conclusions Sociopsychopathological risk factors for suicide attempts in the BNG and MDG appear to vary. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006