The use of a self-report instrument for eating disorders diagnoses: how different are DSM-III-R vs. DSM-III?

In response to a 1982 magazine article 641 women completed self report instruments concerning their eating disorders. Simulated DSM-III and DSM-III-R diagnoses were generated from these responses. Rediagnosis of 397 DSM-III normal weight bulimics (NWB) yielded 93.7% with DSM-III-R bulimia nervosa (BN) and 6.3% with DSM-III-R anorexia nervosa with bulimic features (ANB). Rediagnosis of 30 DSM-III ANB, yielded 66.7% with DSM-III-R ANB, 13.3% with DSM-III-R BN and 20% with subdiagnostic eating disorders (SDED). Rediagnosis of 214 DSM-III SDEDs yielded 93.5% DSM-III-R SDEDs, and 6.5% DSM-III-R BNs a relatively small shift. No Eating Disorders Inventory Scale Score or eating disorders behavioral symptom differences were noted between DSM-III and DSM-III-R ANB, or between DSM-III NBW and DSM-III-R and BN in 1982 or 20 months later. Although DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria for eating disorders are more specific than those in DSM-III, our findings suggest they may ultimately make little difference clinically. Self report instruments may be useful in approximating clinical diagnoses in large surveys. They may be especially useful for syndromes such as eating disorders, in which measureable physical criteria and observable behaviors are prominent.