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Relationships among dysfunctional cognitions, depressive symptoms, and bulimic tendencies

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Abstract

This study assessed the relationships among dysfunctional cognitions, depression, and bulimia tendencies. Female undergraduates (N = 160) completed the Bulimia Test, Beck Depression Inventory, Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale, Dysfunctional Attitude Scale, General Attitude and Belief Scale, Irrational Beliefs Scale, and Cognitive Error Questionnaire. Both bulimia and depression scores were significantly correlated with the cognitive scales. When depression was entered first into a regression equation, significant variance in bulimia scores was still accounted for by the cognitive measures. Results are consistent with a model of dysfunctional cognitions having a relationship with bulimic symptomatology which is at least partially independent of depression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, La Trobe University, 3083, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia

    Zeffie Poulakis & Eleanor H. Wertheim

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  1. Zeffie Poulakis
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  2. Eleanor H. Wertheim
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The authors thank Christine Brown for helping to recruit subjects and collect data, and Dr. Ben Ong for his assistance with statistical procedures.

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Poulakis, Z., Wertheim, E.H. Relationships among dysfunctional cognitions, depressive symptoms, and bulimic tendencies. Cogn Ther Res 17, 549–559 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01176078

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