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Anorexia, bulimia increase risk for criminal behavior

Women with eating disorders were significantly more likely to commit crimes, particularly theft, according to recent findings.

“Criminality, among other adversities, has been associated with eating disorders,” Shuyang Yao, MSc, of Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, and colleagues wrote. “As it might add to the psychosocial burden on individuals who are already suffering from the direct effects of eating disorders, it is important to verify the association between eating disorders and criminal behaviors and to understand mechanisms of the associations. However, research on criminality in eating disorders is quite limited.”

To assess associations between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa with risk for committing theft and other crimes, researchers followed a nationwide cohort of females born in Sweden from 1979 to 1998 from age 15 years for up to 20 years. Clinical diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, convictions of theft and other crimes, psychiatric comorbidities, and familial relatedness were determined via Swedish national registers.

Overall, 11.6% of participants with anorexia nervosa and 17.97% of those with bulimia nervosa were convicted of theft, primarily petty theft, compared with approximately 5% of those unexposed to eating disorders.

Cumulative incidence of other convictions was also higher among participants with anorexia nervosa (7.39%) and bulimia nervosa (13.17%), compared with unexposed participants (6%).

Participants with anorexia nervosa (HR = 2.51; 95% CI, 2.29-2.74) or bulimia nervosa (HR = 4.31; 95% CI, 3.68-5.05) had significantly increased risk for convictions of theft and other crimes, which was partially explained by comorbidities.

Unmeasured familial factor partially explained risk in bulimia nervosa, but not anorexia nervosa.

Participants with bulimia nervosa had double the risk for convictions of other crimes, partially explained by comorbidities, according to researchers.

“Our results highlight forensic issues as an adversity associated with eating disorders. Criminal convictions can compound disease burden and complicate treatment,” Yao said in a press release. “Clinicians should be sure to conduct routine reviews of criminal history during assessments for eating disorders.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: Yao reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for a full list of relevant financial disclosures.