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Eating disturbance and severe personality disorder: outcome of specialist treatment for severe personality disorder
Author(s) -
Warren Fiona,
Zaman Sajdah,
Dolan Bridget,
Norton Kingsley,
Evans Chris
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european eating disorders review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.511
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1099-0968
pISSN - 1072-4133
DOI - 10.1002/erv.639
Subject(s) - eating disorders , personality disorders , personality , psychopathology , psychiatry , psychology , clinical psychology , anorexia nervosa , borderline personality disorder , referral , comorbidity , dieting , medicine , weight loss , obesity , social psychology , family medicine
Abstract Objective To assess the outcome for patients receiving specialist democratic therapeutic community treatment for personality disorder (PD) when they also have eating disturbance. Method Prospective, naturalistic study. Personality psychopathology and disturbed eating attitudes of 135 male and female referrals to tertiary treatment for PD were assessed at referral. Seventy‐five referrals were admitted for treatment and 60 were not. Participants were reassessed at 1‐year follow‐up. Results There was a significant effect of treatment on dieting but not other aspects of eating disturbance. However, patients with eating disturbance were not more likely than those without to terminate treatment early or to have poorer outcome in terms of their personality pathology. Severity of baseline personality pathology did not predict treatment response. Conclusion Clients with comorbidity should be considered for treatment of the personality disorder prior to treatment for the eating disorder. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.