Citation

Pompili M, Girardi P, Tatarelli G, Ruberto A, Tatarelli R. Eat. Behav. 2006; 7(4): 384-394.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, Sant'Andrea Hospital, University of Rome La Sapienza, Via di Grottarossa 1035, 00189 Roma, Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.eatbeh.2005.12.004

PMID

17056416

Abstract

Suicide in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa is a major cause of death. Meta-analyses have shown that individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa commit suicide more often than their counterparts in the general population; also a few studies have suggested that suicide is the major cause of death among patients with anorexia nervosa, refuting the assumption that inanition generally threatens the life of these patients. Data concerning suicide in bulimia nervosa, on the other hand, are still scarce but suicide attempts are easily found among cohorts of patients with bulimia nervosa, which constitutes a risk factor for completed suicide. Suicidality in obesity and individuals with disturbed weight status has been reported. Both in the case of bulimia nervosa and obesity more long-term follow-up studies need to be completed before the risk of suicide for such disorders may be compared with that for anorexia nervosa.

Language: en