BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence, reliability, and predictive value of comorbid personality disorders in a large sample of 210 women seeking treatment for anorexia nervosa (N = 31), bulimia nervosa (N = 91), or mixed disorder (N = 88). METHOD: All subjects were interviewed using the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders as part of a longitudinal outcome study of eating disorders currently underway at Massachusetts General Hospital. RESULTS: Of the 210 subjects, 27% had at least one personality disorder; the most commonly observed was borderline personality disorder in 18 subjects (9%). The highest prevalence of personality disorders was found in the anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa group at 39%, followed by 22% in the anorexics and 21% in the bulimic sample. We found statistically significant differences regarding the distribution of personality disorders across eating disorder groups. The dramatic personality disorder cluster was differentially distributed across groups; this finding was accounted for by higher rates of borderline personality disorder in the bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa groups than in the anorexia nervosa group. The anxious personality disorder cluster was differentially distributed across groups with higher rates in the anorexia nervosa and anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa samples. Those subjects with a comorbid personality disorder had a significantly slower recovery rate than those without a comorbid personality disorder. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of personality disorders is not high in treatment-seeking women with eating disorders compared with previously studied samples. The greatest frequency of comorbid personality disorders is in the anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa group; this subset also had longer duration of eating disorder illness and much greater comorbid Axis I psychopathology compared with the rest of the sample. Future studies should address whether personality disorders have predictive value in the long-term course and outcome of eating disorders.
BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence, reliability, and predictive value of comorbid personality disorders in a large sample of 210 women seeking treatment for anorexia nervosa (N = 31), bulimia nervosa (N = 91), or mixed disorder (N = 88). METHOD: All subjects were interviewed using the Structured Interview for DSM-III Personality Disorders as part of a longitudinal outcome study of eating disorders currently underway at Massachusetts General Hospital. RESULTS: Of the 210 subjects, 27% had at least one personality disorder; the most commonly observed was borderline personality disorder in 18 subjects (9%). The highest prevalence of personality disorders was found in the anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa group at 39%, followed by 22% in the anorexics and 21% in the bulimic sample. We found statistically significant differences regarding the distribution of personality disorders across eating disorder groups. The dramatic personality disorder cluster was differentially distributed across groups; this finding was accounted for by higher rates of borderline personality disorder in the bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa groups than in the anorexia nervosa group. The anxious personality disorder cluster was differentially distributed across groups with higher rates in the anorexia nervosa and anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa samples. Those subjects with a comorbid personality disorder had a significantly slower recovery rate than those without a comorbid personality disorder. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of personality disorders is not high in treatment-seeking women with eating disorders compared with previously studied samples. The greatest frequency of comorbid personality disorders is in the anorexia nervosa/bulimia nervosa group; this subset also had longer duration of eating disorder illness and much greater comorbid Axis I psychopathology compared with the rest of the sample. Future studies should address whether personality disorders have predictive value in the long-term course and outcome of eating disorders.
Authors: I García-Vilches; A Badía-Casanovas; F Fernández-Aranda; S Jiménez-Murcia; V Turón-Gil; J Vallejo-Ruiloba; M Katzman Journal: Eat Weight Disord Date: 2002-09 Impact factor: 4.652
Authors: Kai G Kahl; Sebastian Rudolf; Leif Dibbelt; Beate M Stoeckelhuber; Hans-Björn Gehl; Fritz Hohagen; Ulrich Schweiger Journal: Osteoporos Int Date: 2004-08-05 Impact factor: 4.507
Authors: Jason M Lavender; Kyle P De Young; Stephen A Wonderlich; Ross D Crosby; Scott G Engel; James E Mitchell; Scott J Crow; Carol B Peterson; Daniel Le Grange Journal: J Abnorm Psychol Date: 2013-05-06
Authors: Rosa M Molina-Ruiz; T García-Saiz; Jeffrey C L Looi; E Via Virgili; M Rincón Zamorano; Laura de Anta Tejado; Helena Trebbau López; Jose Luis Carrasco Perera; Marina Díaz-Marsá Journal: Psychiatry Investig Date: 2020-03-12 Impact factor: 2.505
Authors: Stephanie Knatz; Christina E Wierenga; Stuart B Murray; Laura Hill; Walter H Kaye Journal: Dialogues Clin Neurosci Date: 2015-06 Impact factor: 5.986
Authors: Christina Wierenga; Amanda Bischoff-Grethe; A James Melrose; Emily Grenesko-Stevens; Zoë Irvine; Angela Wagner; Alan Simmons; Scott Matthews; Wai-Ying Wendy Yau; Christine Fennema-Notestine; Walter H Kaye Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-03-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Christina E Wierenga; Alice Ely; Amanda Bischoff-Grethe; Ursula F Bailer; Alan N Simmons; Walter H Kaye Journal: Front Behav Neurosci Date: 2014-12-09 Impact factor: 3.558