title: Personality dimensions and treatment drop-outs among eating disorder patients treated with cognitive behavior therapy.
abstract: Premature, unilateral interruption of inpatient treatment of eating disorders (ED) is a key factor limiting success. We evaluated the role of personality dimensions (temperament and character) in predicting drop-out in 145 consecutive ED inpatients (133 females) who entered cognitive behavior therapy. Baseline assessment included anthropometry, the Eating Disorder Examination, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Treatment was based on the new transdiagnostic cognitive behavior theory of ED, adapted for an inpatient setting; it was manual-based and lasted 20 weeks (13, inpatients; 7, residential day hospital). Thirty-four patients (23.4%) discontinued treatment. Drop-outs had a lower level of education, a higher prevalence of separation or divorce in the family, and lower scores on the TCI Persistence scale. After correction for age, gender and body-mass index, scores on the Persistence scale continued to be significantly related to drop-out, and the association was confirmed by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Eating disorder patients with low Persistence scores are significantly less likely to complete inpatient treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Eating and Weight Disorder, Villa Garda Hospital, Via Montebaldo, 89, 37016 Garda (Vr), Italy. rdalleg@tin.it <rdalleg@tin.it>
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dalle Grave
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Calugi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marchesini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002605:Character; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003631:Day Care, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004243:Divorce / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D054541:Family Conflict / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010552:Personality Assessment; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013694:Temperament / Q000145:classification