Personality and eating disorders: a decade in review

Clin Psychol Rev. 2005 Nov;25(7):895-916. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2005.04.012.

Abstract

Personality traits have been implicated in the onset, symptomatic expression, and maintenance of eating disorders (EDs). The present article reviews literature examining the link between personality and EDs published within the past decade, and presents a meta-analysis evaluating the prevalence of personality disorders (PDs) in anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED) as assessed by self-report instruments versus diagnostic interviews. AN and BN are both consistently characterized by perfectionism, obsessive-compulsiveness, neuroticism, negative emotionality, harm avoidance, low self-directedness, low cooperativeness, and traits associated with avoidant PD. Consistent differences that emerge between ED groups are high constraint and persistence and low novelty seeking in AN and high impulsivity, sensation seeking, novelty seeking, and traits associated with borderline PD in BN. The meta-analysis, which found PD rates of 0 to 58% among individuals with AN and BN, documented that self-report instruments greatly overestimate the prevalence of every PD.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Meta-Analysis
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anorexia Nervosa / diagnosis
  • Anorexia Nervosa / epidemiology
  • Bulimia / diagnosis
  • Bulimia / epidemiology
  • Comorbidity
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / diagnosis
  • Feeding and Eating Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Personality / classification
  • Personality Disorders / diagnosis
  • Personality Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Personality Inventory / statistics & numerical data
  • Prognosis
  • Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / statistics & numerical data
  • Psychometrics
  • Surveys and Questionnaires