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Are eating disorders associated with borderline personality disorder? a critical review
Author(s) -
Pope Harrison G.,
Hudson James I.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/1098-108x(198901)8:1<1::aid-eat2260080102>3.0.co;2-#
Subject(s) - borderline personality disorder , psychology , eating disorders , personality disorders , clinical psychology , personality , developmental psychology , psychoanalysis
Seven studies using structured diagnostic interviews have assessed the prevalence of borderline personality disorder among patients with eating disorders, yielding rates from 0% to 42% in different samples. However, many patients with eating disorders suffer from depression, and there is substantial overlap between the symptoms of depression and those of borderline personality disorder. Thus, structured interviews for borderline personality disorder–most of which are of untested or uncertain specificity–may perhaps frequently produce false‐positive diagnoses of borderline personality disorder in patients with eating disorders and hence yield exaggerated estimates of the true prevalence of borderline personality disorder in this population. Considering the grave implications of the borderline diagnosis, one must remain critical of studies in this area until further data, using instruments of documented specificity, blind ratings, and suitable control groups, become available.