Personality disorders in anorexic patients

Abstract

This study was designed to compare personality disorders in restricting and bulimic anorexics. Thirty patients fulfilled DSM‐III criteria for anorexia nervosa and 38 patients fulfilled, in addition, DSM‐III criteria for bulimia. Patients were given Axis I and II, DSM‐III diagnoses. They were administered Gunderson's Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines, the MMPI, and the Childhood Events Questionnaire. We find from these different lines of evidence that both restricter and bulimic anorexics requiring hospital treatment equally display a major character pathology. However, there are characterological differences in that bulimics tend to discharge impulses and conflicts through action, similar to their family members.

Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders

“…Our finding that anorexic restrictors were less likely than bulimics (AN-B, BN and BN-hx-AN) to have Cluster B (dramatic-erratic) personality disorders is consistent with the results of Piran et al (1988) and Herzog et al (1992).…”

Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders

“…Our finding that anorexic restrictors were less likely than bulimics (AN-B, BN and BN-hx-AN) to have Cluster B (dramatic-erratic) personality disorders is consistent with the results of Piran et al (1988) and Herzog et al (1992).…”

DSM-III-R personality disorders in eating-disorder subtypes

“…These findings carry clinical and theoretical import for the study of personality and tbe eating disorders. First, these data agree with previous studies showing both bulimics and anorexics to display high rates of various personality disorders (Levin & Hyler, 1986;Piran et al, 1988). The large percentage of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder diagnoses in the restricting anorexic group is consistent with personality trait studies depicting anorexics as rigidly controlled, akfectively restricted, industrious, and lacking spontaneity (Strober, 1981 a,b).…”

“…Both anorexic groups showed relatively high levels of dependent personality disorder supporting previous descriptions of the anorexic as being socially insecure, excessively dependent, and lacking self-directed autonomy (Strober, 1985). These findings are in contrast to Piran, et al, (1988) who report high rates of avoidant personality-but not obsessive-compulsive personality-in restricting anorexics. Furthermore, their bulimic-anorexic subjects displayed "dramatic-erratic" features most clearly and not avoidant characteristics seen presently.…”

Sexual Abuse, Disordered Personality and Eating Disorders

“…This finding is in keeping with other published studies (Hudson et al, 1983;Levine & Hyler, 1986). It is less than the 87070-97070 of anorexic patients with an associated personality disorder reported by Piran et al (1988). However, their study differs from ours in making the personality diagnosis on clinical grounds rather than using a standardised instrument.…”

Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders

“…Our finding that anorexic restrictors were less likely than bulimics (AN-B, BN and BN-hx-AN) to have Cluster B (dramatic-erratic) personality disorders is consistent with the results of Piran et al (1988) and Herzog et al (1992).…”

DSM-III-R personality disorders in eating-disorder subtypes

“…These findings carry clinical and theoretical import for the study of personality and tbe eating disorders. First, these data agree with previous studies showing both bulimics and anorexics to display high rates of various personality disorders (Levin & Hyler, 1986;Piran et al, 1988). The large percentage of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder diagnoses in the restricting anorexic group is consistent with personality trait studies depicting anorexics as rigidly controlled, akfectively restricted, industrious, and lacking spontaneity (Strober, 1981 a,b).…”

“…Both anorexic groups showed relatively high levels of dependent personality disorder supporting previous descriptions of the anorexic as being socially insecure, excessively dependent, and lacking self-directed autonomy (Strober, 1985). These findings are in contrast to Piran, et al, (1988) who report high rates of avoidant personality-but not obsessive-compulsive personality-in restricting anorexics. Furthermore, their bulimic-anorexic subjects displayed "dramatic-erratic" features most clearly and not avoidant characteristics seen presently.…”

Sexual Abuse, Disordered Personality and Eating Disorders

“…This finding is in keeping with other published studies (Hudson et al, 1983;Levine & Hyler, 1986). It is less than the 87070-97070 of anorexic patients with an associated personality disorder reported by Piran et al (1988). However, their study differs from ours in making the personality diagnosis on clinical grounds rather than using a standardised instrument.…”

Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders

“…Our finding that anorexic restrictors were less likely than bulimics (AN-B, BN and BN-hx-AN) to have Cluster B (dramatic-erratic) personality disorders is consistent with the results of Piran et al (1988) and Herzog et al (1992).…”

DSM-III-R personality disorders in eating-disorder subtypes

“…These findings carry clinical and theoretical import for the study of personality and tbe eating disorders. First, these data agree with previous studies showing both bulimics and anorexics to display high rates of various personality disorders (Levin & Hyler, 1986;Piran et al, 1988). The large percentage of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder diagnoses in the restricting anorexic group is consistent with personality trait studies depicting anorexics as rigidly controlled, akfectively restricted, industrious, and lacking spontaneity (Strober, 1981 a,b).…”

“…Both anorexic groups showed relatively high levels of dependent personality disorder supporting previous descriptions of the anorexic as being socially insecure, excessively dependent, and lacking self-directed autonomy (Strober, 1985). These findings are in contrast to Piran, et al, (1988) who report high rates of avoidant personality-but not obsessive-compulsive personality-in restricting anorexics. Furthermore, their bulimic-anorexic subjects displayed "dramatic-erratic" features most clearly and not avoidant characteristics seen presently.…”

Sexual Abuse, Disordered Personality and Eating Disorders

“…This finding is in keeping with other published studies (Hudson et al, 1983;Levine & Hyler, 1986). It is less than the 87070-97070 of anorexic patients with an associated personality disorder reported by Piran et al (1988). However, their study differs from ours in making the personality diagnosis on clinical grounds rather than using a standardised instrument.…”