Anorexia nervosa as manifested in Russia

Abstract

The authors describe current theoretical and clinical conceptualizations and treatment of anorexia nervosa in Russia, based on their experience in the follow-up of 800 patients. Three-quarters of the patients exhibited anorexia nervosa linked with a border-line state, and one-quarter associated with schizophrenia. Different relationships to dysmorphophobic fears were observed in the different anorexic groups. In the border-line group, follow-up study indicated that the clinical symptoms of anorexia nervosa were significantly reduced. However, the disorder preserved its connection with dysmorphophobic fears even in the remote stages of the disease, and in later stages there was an occurrence of pathological personality changes. In the second group, from the very beginning, anorexia nervosa in schizophrenia was closely connected with affective disorders, pathological body sensations, hypochondriacal complaints, and a gradual personality deterioration. As the schizophrenic defect increased, anorexia nervosa was reduced to an exhausted form of vomiting behaviour, and lost its connection with dysmorphophobic experiences.