Complex personality disorder in bulimia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
Recent research has suggested a move toward a dimensional system for the classification of personality disorders (PDs). Tyrer's dimensional model using severity as a form of categorizing PDs was used to compare eating disorder outcome in women with bulimia nervosa (BN) over 3 years.


METHODS
One hundred thirty-four women with BN were divided into 4 groups based on PD severity: no PD (n = 32), personality difficulty (n = 27), simple PD (n = 29), and complex PD (n = 46). Eating disorder symptoms and attitudes, general psychosocial functioning, and depressive symptoms were examined at pretreatment and at 1-year and 3-year follow-up (posttreatment).


RESULTS
The complex PD group had greater Axis I comorbidity and psychopathology than the remaining 3 groups at pretreatment. At 1-year and 3-year follow-up, there were no differences in eating disorder outcome, general psychosocial functioning, and depressive symptoms across the 4 groups.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that having an increased number of PDs comorbid with BN does not influence eating disorder outcome up to 3 years after treatment.
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, PO Box 4345, Christchurch, New Zealand. sarah.rowe@otago.ac.nz
Sarah L
SL
Rowe
Jenny
J
Jordan
Virginia V W
VV
McIntosh
Frances A
FA
Carter
Chris
C
Frampton
Cynthia M
CM
Bulik
Peter R
PR
Joyce
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007171:Implosive Therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D011599:Psychopathology; D012917:Social Adjustment; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult