Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric illness that mainly affects the female sex of Western culture.
Anorexia is a disorder fueled by a distortion of one's body image, that is a different and negative perception (excessively fat) than the collective one. For this reason, the anorexia sufferer tries to lose weight in the hope (vain) that this can help reduce the discomfort that afflicts him; obviously, the attempt is completely useless as (usually) the perception degenerates progressively, based on the psychological state, therefore it shows no signs of improving despite the actual physical changes.
It is not clear whether the other psychiatric disorders (symptoms, anxiety, depression, obsessiveness, etc.) constitute a cause, a comorbidity or a consequence of anorexia nervosa.
On the other hand, it is often necessary to treat these conditions and moderate their symptoms in order to achieve a pathological remission of anorexia nervosa itself.
Anorexia nervosa, by itself, is correlated (even if the studies do not always agree) to an increase in the mortality rate. In addition to the very serious forms of associated malnutrition, caused by inappropriate dietary behaviors and possibly by compensatory and / or purgative methods (eg self-induced vomiting and / or use of laxatives), the mortality rate in anorexia nervosa also increases psychiatric comorbidities; among these, depression, obsessive disorders, anxiety, etc. Unfortunately, in the most serious conditions, the desire to end one's existence through suicide may arise in the subject.
In a document entitled " Suicide and attempted suicide in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa ", the following is quoted by the "La Sapienza University of Rome" .
In anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, suicide is one of the primary reasons for patients' death.
It is noted that the unanimous risk factors are mainly: purgative behaviors, chronicity of the disorder, drug use, obsessive symptoms, major depression and, for anorexia, an extremely reduced Body Mass Index (BMI) already from the first medical survey.
In anorexia nervosa, suicide is considered the most frequent cause of death, while the relative attempts represent a danger of considerable importance.
In bulimia nervosa, the statistical values ​​concerning suicide (death) are still uncertain; on the contrary, many attempts are observed. It therefore seems quite clear that the suicidal behavior among subjects with anorexia and bulimia nervosa is still rather underestimated.
To conclude, by assessing the psychopathology of these patients more accurately and including the relative suicidal tendency, it should be possible to optimize the prevention methods concerning suicidal behaviors and thus reduce the death of subjects suffering from anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
