Autobiographical memories in patients treated for bulimia nervosa

Objective: Previous research has shown that individuals suffering from depression and other emotional disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder and delusional disorder have difficulties being specific in autobiographical memory. The aim of this study was to investigate autobiographical memories in patients treated for bulimia nervosa. Method: A sample of 18 women recently treated for bulimia nervosa were tested using the Autobiographical Memory Test. Results: Results showed that bulimic patients had difficulty retrieving specific memories, and retrieved an excess of categoric memories. Bulimic patients also had longer response latencies to both positive and negative cue words than a control group of 18 matched women without any history of eating disorder. There was little relation between severity of depression (Beck Depression Inventory) and specificity in autobiographical memory. Discussion: Findings suggest that persistent memory biases could be worth considering in the treatment of bulimic patients. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.