How do eating disorders and alcohol use disorder influence each other?

Abstract

The influence of eating disorders on AUD appears to be greater than the reverse. A substantial number of patients who initially present with an eating disorder develop alcohol problems over the course of time, suggesting that the risk is an ongoing one that should be monitored by clinicians.

A Cross-Lagged Evaluation of Eating Disorder Symptomatology and Substance-Use Problems

“…The lack of association between bingeing and substance use in the current study mirrors that found in a previous investigation of college students (Dunn et al, 2002) and research conducted in community samples (Dansky et al, 2000;Welch and Fairburn, 1996) and with adolescents (Stock et al, 2002) but is not in line with fi ndings from other studies that report higher rates of substance use in bulimic individuals than in anorexic or asymptomatic individuals (Braun et al, 1994;Franko et al, 2005;Herzog et al, 2006;Holderness et al, 1994;Nagata et al, 2002;Wiederman and Pryor, 1996). It is important to note that the current investigation focused on the relation between substance use and specifi c disordered eating behaviors, rather than on any particular diagnostic group (e.g., bulimia nervosa), because the majority of individuals who struggle with disordered eating do not meet full diagnostic criteria for anorexia or bulimia nervosa (Fairburn and Bohn, 2005;Herzog et al, 2006;Mitchell et al, 2005).…”

“…These results support research that found that women who met criteria for an eating disorder reported more negative consequences of alcohol use, despite not drinking more frequently or in higher quantities than their asymptomatic peers (Dunn et al, 2002). They also support research fi ndings that the presence of an alcohol-use disorder did not infl uence recovery from an eating disorder, but disordered eating symptoms (i.e., vomiting, overconcern with weight and shape) predicted onset and recovery from an alcohol-use disorder (Franko et al, 2005). Increased use-related consequences in a disordered eating population may be indicative of alcohol differentially affecting women who binge or who engage in weight-control strategies (i.e., use may result in loss of control over eating, alcohol effects may be felt more quickly or intensely if consumed on an empty stomach).…”

“…In the only prospective study to date, Franko et al (2005) examined the bidirectional infl uence of patients' eating disorder on their alcohol use. The results indicated neither a history of an alcohol-use disorder nor current alcohol use infl uenced time to recover from an eating disorder.…”

Self Injurious Behavior in Adolescent Girls with Eating Disorders

“…Although the prevalence of BPD in patients with AN-BP is similar to those with BN (Braun et al, 1994), cluster B PD psychopathology appears to be higher in patients with BN compared to AN patients (Bulik et al, 2004;Franko et al, 2005;Franko & Keel, 2006;Holderness et al, 1994;Rosenvinge et al, 2000). Previous studies based on diagnostic interviews (Cassin & Ranson, 2005) have reported comorbidity rates for EDs and BPD of around 3% for AN-R, 21% for BN and 9% for binge eating disorder (BED).…”

The Longitudinal Influence of Physical Activity on Adolescent Alcohol Use

“…For example numerous studies have reported differences in depression between Black and White adolescents (Franko et al, 2005;Kistner, David, & White, 2003). In addition, some studies have found higher levels of depressive symptomatology among Hispanic adolescents than other racial/ethnic groups (Doi, Roberts, Takeuchi, & Suzuki, 2001).…”