Fast screening of eating disorders among patients with bipolar disorder: Validation of the French version of BEDS questionnaire

Abstract Introduction The prevalence and morbidity of eating disorders (ED) is high in patients with bipolar disorder (BD). Simple tools are necessary to easily and rapidly screen for ED in bipolar patients. Objective The aim of this study was to validate the French version of Bipolar Eating Disorder Scale (BEDS-F). Method ED and BD diagnoses were established with a structured-interview in 80 patients according to the DSM-IV criteria. The BEDS was translated into French using appropriate methods. Patients were administered the following scales: BEDS-F, SCOFF, Bulimic Investigatory Test Edinburgh (BITE) and Eating Disorder Inventory-two (EDI-2). Results BEDS-F score were significantly higher in bipolar patients with ED. The BEDS-F showed high feasibility (no omission response), excellent discriminating abilities (ROC AUC = 0.97) with a sensibility of 98% and specificity of 85% for BEDS ≥ 11, high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.86) and test-retest reliability (ICC = 0.99). No floor/ceiling effect was observed. The BEDS-F sensitivity was equivalent to that of the BITE and EDI-2 subscale B. The BEDS-F specificity was slightly lower than that of the EDI-2 subscale B, but equivalent to that of BITE. Conclusion The BEDS-F is a valid scale for fast ED screening in patients with bipolar disorder, and easier to administer than other currently used scales.