Relationship between EDNOS and its subtypes and borderline personality disorder

Objective: The purpose of tl,is study was to assess the prevalence of eatin g disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) and four well-defined subtypes o f this disorder found in a sample of female borderline patients. Method: Th e lifetime prevalence of EDNOS and its various subtypes among 233 female bo rderline patients and 46 female Axis II comparison subjects was assessed us ing the Structured Clinical Interview For DSM-III-R Axis I disorders. Resul ts: Thirty-three percent of female borderline patients met DSM-III-R criter ia for EDNOS at some point in their lives. Of these 76 women, 20% reported a pattern of restricting without low weight, 37% reported a pattern of bing ing without purging, 37% reported a pattern of purging without binging, and 33% reported a pattern of low weight without loss of menses. However, less than 25% of these 76 borderline women had ever met criteria for anorexia n ervosa or bulimia nervosa. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest t hat EDNOS is a separate cluster of eating disorders among borderline women, rather than a prodromal or residual form of a more clear-cut case of anore xia or bulimia nervosa. (C) 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disor d 29: 349-353, 2001.