A test of the social withdrawal syndrome hypothesis of bulimia nervosa.

BACKGROUND

The study examined the social withdrawal syndrome (SWS) hypothesis of bulimia nervosa (BN). According to the hypothesis, eating disorders such as BN are associated with a coherent set of social withdrawal cognitions, affect, and behavior.

PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE: Eight-eight young female adults completed a standardized measure of bulimic symptoms and measures of social withdrawal (affective withdrawal, trust beliefs in close others, and disclosure). Participants were engaged in a laboratory-based peer interaction which yielded the SWS measure of perceived lack of social connectiveness.

RESULTS

Bulimic symptoms were associated with each measure of social withdrawal. Structural equation modeling analysis confirmed that those measures contributed to a coherent latent factor which was associated with bulimic symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings supported the social withdrawal syndrome hypothesis of BN and have implications for the detection and treatment of eating disorders.