title: Why do people with eating disorders drop out from inpatient treatment?: the role of personality factors.
abstract: Dropout rates from inpatient treatment for eating disorders are very high and have a negative impact on outcome. The purpose of this study was to identify personality factors predictive of dropout from hospitalization. A total of 64 adult patients with anorexia nervosa consecutively hospitalized in a specialized unit were included; 19 patients dropped out. The dropout group and the completer group were compared for demographic variables, clinical features, personality dimensions, and personality disorders. There was no link between clinical features and dropout, and among demographic variables, only age was associated with dropout. Personality factors, comorbidity with a personality disorder and Self-transcendence dimension, were statistically predictive of premature termination of hospitalization. In a multivariate model, these two factors remain significant. Personality traits (Temperament and Character Inventory personality dimension and comorbid personality disorder) are significantly associated with dropout from inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa. Implications for clinical practice, to diminish the dropout rate, will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Clinique des Maladies Mentales et de l'Encéphale, Hôpital Sainte-Anne, 100 Rue de la Santé, Paris Cedex 14, France. P.A.Boelen@uu.nl
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pham-Scottez
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huas
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Perez-Diaz
authors.forename: Clémentine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nordon
authors.forename: Snezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Divac
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dardennes
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Speranza
authors.forename: Frédéric
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rouillon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000523:psychology*; D010551:Personality; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome