The Spectrum of Self-Injurious Behavior in Eating Disorders

Eating disordered patients display a spectrum of self-harming behaviors that can only partially be defined as suicidal. Even some specific symptoms of eating disorders (EDs), like weight control practices, can be considered self-aggressive or a form of self-punishment. The present paper is a review of the findings of recent studies that explored the dimensionality of the self-injurious behaviors in eating disorders and the clinical correlates of the emerging dimensions. These studies have found that EDs have a specific relationship with self-injurious behaviors. These behaviors should be taken into account by the therapist in the assessment and treatment of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa patients.