An analysis of the diaries of patients with bulimia nervosa

Abstract

English: Organised cognitive structures leading to the development and maintenance of eating disorders appear to be represented in the core psychopathology of bulimia nervosa. This study investigated the self-statements of bulimic patients by analysing self-report diaries from patients who had completed a course of cognitive behavioural therapy. Patients were assigned to one of two groups according to the outcome of therapy: successful (n=21) or unsuccessful (n=7). The results showed that there were statistically significant decreases in the use of specific self-denigrating words indicating thoughts relating to both eating disorder and affective disorder for the successful group but not for the unsuccessful group.Afrikaans: Georganiseerde kognitiewe strukture wat lei tot die ontwikkeling en instandhouding van eetversteurings blyk die kernoorsaak te verteenwoordig in die psigopatologie van bulimia nervosa. Vir hierdie studie is die outobiografiese inskrwings in dagboeke van bulimiese pasiënte wat ’n kursus van kognitiewe gedragsterapie ondergaan het, aan die begin en die einde van die terapie vergelyk. Pasiënte is aan een van twee groepe toegewys op grond van ’n terapie-uitkoms wat suksesvol (n = 21) of onsuksesvol (n = 7) was. Die resultate toon aan dat daar in die suksesvolle groep — in teenstelling met die onsuksesvolle groep — statisties beduidende afnames in die gebruik van spesifieke selfverkleinerende woorde wat dui op die gedagtegang van persone met eetversteurings en gemoedsversteurings.