TEMPERAMENT, CHARACTER, AND PERSONALITY-DISORDER IN BULIMIA-NERVOSA

In a sample of 76 women participating in a clinical treatment trial fo r bulimia nervosa, we examined the clinical differences between subjec ts with and without concurrent personality disorders and the ability o f ''self-directedness'' (a character scale of Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory) to predict the presence of personality disord er. Sixty-three percent of the sample had at least one personality dis order diagnosis. Fifty-one percent of personality disorders were in cl uster C, 41% were in cluster B, and 33% were in cluster A. The presenc e of personality disorder was associated with greater depressive sympt oms, worse global functioning, laxative use, greater body dissatisfact ion, higher harm avoidance, and lower self-directedness. As hypothesiz ed, low self-directedness scores were associated with a markedly incre ased probability of a personality disorder.