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Should Amenorrhoea be Necessary for the Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa?

Evidence from a Canadian Community Sample

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Paul E. Garfinkel ,
E. Lin ,
P. Goering ,
C. Spegg ,
D. Goldbloom ,
S. Kennedy ,
A. S. Kaplan  and
D. Blake Woodside
Paul E. Garfinkel*
Affiliation:
Health Systems Research Unit, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, and Department of Psychiatry and Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
E. Lin
Affiliation:
Health Systems Research Unit, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, and Department of Psychiatry and Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
P. Goering
Affiliation:
Health Systems Research Unit, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, and Department of Psychiatry and Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
C. Spegg
Affiliation:
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and University of Toronto
D. Goldbloom
Affiliation:
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and University of Toronto
S. Kennedy
Affiliation:
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry and University of Toronto
A. S. Kaplan
Affiliation:
Head Program for Eating Disorders, The Toronto Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
D. Blake Woodside
Affiliation:
Eating Disorders Inpatient Program, The Toronto Hospital and University of Toronto
*
Dr Garfinkel, Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 1R8
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Abstract

Background

This study compares the characteristics of women with anorexia nervosa with those of women who have all the diagnostic features of that disorder except amenorrhoea.

Method

The study uses data from a large community epidemiological survey of the mental health status of household residents in Ontario, Canada. A multi-stage stratified sampling design generated a sample of 4285 females aged 15–64. DSM–III–R diagnoses were made using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.

Results

Eighty-four out of 4285 female respondents met full or partial-syndrome criteria for anorexia nervosa. Comparison of these two groups revealed few statistically significant differences in terms of demographics, psychiatric comorbidity, family history or early experiences.

Conclusions

Amenorrhoea did not discriminate between women with anorexia nervosa and women with all the features except amenorrhoea across a number of relevant variables. The authors question the utility of amenorrhoea as a diagnostic criterion.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 4 , April 1996 , pp. 500 - 506
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1996 

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