Psych PGY-5. I am writing my upcoming licensing exam. I keep running into practice questions around dx of AN with subtypes... and one thing I have trouble differentiating is when to have the binge/purge specifier if there is either present... what counts as "recurrent" in this circumstance? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Example practice question: A 17-year-old female has a BMI of 16.9. She has had a stable body weight for the past 4 months. She binges monthly, purges twice yearly and feels guilty after eating the food. She also fasts after her meals. She exercises vigorously daily. What is the correct diagnosis?

Per the qbank, the correct answer is the restricting subtype.

For reference from DSM-5: Restricting type: During the last 3 months, the individual has not engaged in recurrent episodes of binge eating or purging behavior (i.e., self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas). This subtype describes presentations in which weight loss is accomplished primarily through dieting, fasting, and/or excessive exercise.

Binge-eating/purging type: During the last 3 months, the individual has engaged in recurrent episodes of binge eating or purging behavior (i.e., self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas).