Cognitive process in bulimic disorders : the role of schema avoidance and impulsivity

Abstract

Treatments based on traditional cognitive behavioural models of bulimia are effective only in approximately 50% of cases. This suggests that alternative models of bulimia and its treatment need to be considered. Recent models highlight the role of negative emotions in bulimia and suggest that bulimic behaviours may serve to 'block' such emotions. The literature review focuses on how bulimic women process threatening information. A recent information processing model (Beck and Clark, 1997) highlights the role of attentional bias and schema avoidance in pathology. These processes are discussed in relation to bulimia. The literature review highlights the similarities between bulimia and other impulsive behaviours, and suggests that they might serve a similar function. The present study examined whether bulimia and impulsivity are associated with avoidance of threats to self-esteem. The results indicated that there were no significant differences between the bulimic group and a non-clinical group in levels of cognitive avoidance, and there were no significant associations between cognitive avoidance and impulsivity. However, differences were found in levels of dissociation for certain types of impulsive behaviours.

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