Background
Eating disorders (ED), are serious illnesses that often have a variety of medical complications and have significant psychiatric comorbidity. The Night Eating Syndrome (NES) is one of these eating disorders. It was first described in 1955 by Stunkard as a disorder consisting of morning anorexia, evening hyperphagia, and insomnia. It is strongly correlated with both obesity and depression in a bidirectional relationship with each one. Data regarding these relationships are scarce and conflicting.
Objective
This study was undertaken to estimate the prevalence rate of night eating syndrome among patients with depression and its relation to antidepressant drugs.
Method
The present study was conducted on 400 psychiatric outpatients aged 18-60 years and of both sexes in Alexandria Main University Hospitals over the period from February 2013 to July 2013. Patients were divided into two equal groups (200 patients each). These two groups were one depressed patients without treatment and the other depressed patents on treatment for at least 2 months. All subjects were subjected to psychiatric clinical interview by the researcher for complete history taking, assessment and diagnosis of major depressive disorder based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria (DSM-IV-TR), anthropometric measurements and diagnosis of NES based on the proposed diagnostic criteria of NES and night eating questionnaire.
Results
NES subjects constituted 26.5% among group A, while among group B subjects constituted 9%. Among group A, NES +ve cases were associated with higher BMI with positive correlation between NEQ scores and BMI. Where among group B, NES +ve cases were associated with higher BMI with positive correlation between NEQ scores and BMI, There was statistical difference between the +ve and –ve cases of NES concerning type of antidepressant received. This was found with mirtazapine, trazodone and clomipramine with the highest NEQ scores. On comparing +v cases in both groups, BMI was lower significantly among group B than group A.
Conclusions
Night eating syndrome is common with MDD, also, it is one of the causes of overweight and obesity. There is a major role of some antidepressants in treating NES as well as there is a partial role of others in inducing NES.