COMORBIDITY OF DSM-III-R EATING DISORDERS AND PERSONALITY-DISORDERS

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship of eating dis orders to personality disorders. Two hundred subjects were independent ly administered the Structured Clinical interview for DSM-III-R (SCID) and the Personality Disorder Examination (PDE) face-to-face by two ex perienced clinicians. One hundred forty-six also completed the Persona lity Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised (PDQ-R). Rates of personality di sorder among patients with and without eating disorders were determine d by each of the three instruments. Comorbidity between bulimia nervos a and anorexia nervosa and a conservative estimate of individual Axis II disorders was examined. Eating disorders with and without personali ty disorders were compared on age at onset and two measures of illness severity. Results indicate that the association, in general, between personality disorders and eating disorders varies by diagnostic method . Bulimia nervosa, however, is associated with borderline personality disorder and anorexia nervosa with avoidant personality disorder. Eati ng disorders with personality disorders are characterized by chronicit y and low levels of functioning compared with eating disorders without personality disorders. (C) 1993 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.