Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Eating disorder symptoms and borderline personality symptomatology

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

According to the empirical literature, there are high rates of borderline personality disorder (BPD) among individuals with formal diagnoses of eating disorders, and high rates of eating disorders among individuals with BPD. In this study, we examined relationships between three eating disorder symptoms (i.e., binge eating, starving oneself, abusing laxatives) and borderline personality symptomatology according to two self-report measures (the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self- Harm Inventory) in a sample of psychiatric inpatients (N=126) and in a sample of internal medicine outpatients (N=419). Each individual eating disorder item, as well as a composite score of all three items, demonstrated statistically significant correlations with both measures of borderline personality symptomatology in both samples. In addition, endorsement of all three symptoms was invariably associated with borderline personality symptomatology on both measures. Specific eating disorder symptoms, alone, may predict for borderline personality symptomatology.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sansone RA, Levitt JL, Sansone LA. The prevalence of personality disorders in those with eating disorders. In: Sansone RA, Levitt JL (Eds) Personality Disorders and Eating Disorders. Exploring the Frontier. New York, Routledge, 2006, pp 23–39.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Zanarini MC, Frankenburg FR, Dubo ED, et al. Axis I comorbidity of borderline personality disorder. Am J Psychiatry 1998; 155: 1733–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Zimmerman M, Mattia JI. Axis I diagnostic comorbidity and borderline personality disorder. Compr Psychiatry 1999; 40: 245–52.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Johnson DM, Shea MT, Yen S, et al. Gender differences in borderline personality disorder: findings from the Collaborative Longitudinal Personality Disorders Study. Compr Psychiatry 2003; 44: 284–92.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Zanarini MC, Frankenburg FR, Hennen J, et al. Axis I comorbidity in patients with borderline personality disorder: 6-year follow-up and prediction of time to remission. Am J Psychiatry 2004; 161: 2108–14.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Conklin CZ, Westen D. Borderline personality disorder in clinical practice. Am J Psychiatry 2005; 162: 867–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Tadic A, Wagner S, Hoch J, et al. Gender differences in axis I and axis II comorbidity in patients with borderline personality disorder. Psychopathology 2009; 42: 257–63.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Ritter K, Roepke S, Merkl A, et al. Comorbidity in patients with narcissistic personality disorder in comparison to patients with borderline personality disorder. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 2010; 60: 14–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Hudson JI, Hiripi E, Pope HG, et al. The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biol Psychiatry 2007; 61: 348–58.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Hyler SE. Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4. New York, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  11. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, DC, American Psychiatric Association, 1994.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Dubro AF, Wetzler S, Kahn MW. A comparison of three self-report questionnaires for the diagnosis of DSM-III personality disorders. J Pers Disord 1988; 2: 256–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Hyler SE, Lyons M, Rieder RO, et al. The factor structure of self-report DSM-III Axis II symptoms and their relationship to clinicians’ ratings. Am J Psychiatry 1990; 147: 751–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Johnson JG, Bornstein RF. Utility of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-Revised in a nonclinical sample. J Pers Disord 1992; 6: 450–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Patrick J, Links P, Van Reekum R, et al. Using the PDQR BPD scale as a brief screening measure in the differential diagnosis of personality disorder. J Pers Disord 1995; 9: 266–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sansone RA, Wiederman MW, Sansone LA. The Self- Harm Inventory (SHI): development of a scale for identifying self-destructive behaviors and borderline personality disorder. J Clin Psychol 1998; 54: 973–83.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Kolb JE, Gunderson JG. Diagnosing borderline patients with a semistructued interview. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1980; 37: 37–41.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Thompson-Brenner H, Eddy KT, Satir DA, et al. Personality subtypes in adolescents with eating disorders: validation of a subclassification approach. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2008; 49: 170–80.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Westen D, Harnden-Fischer J. Personality profiles in eating disorders: rethinking the distinction between axis I and axis II. Am J Psychiatry 2001; 158: 547–62.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Thompson-Brenner H, Eddy KT, Franko DL, et al. A personality classification system for eating disorders: a longitudinal study. Compr Psychiatry 2008; 49: 551–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. R. A. Sansone MD (Director of Psychiatry Education)

    Present address: Sycamore Primary Care Center, 2115 Leiter Road, Miamisburg, Ohio, 45342, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Internal Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA

    R. A. Sansone MD (Director of Psychiatry Education)

  2. Kettering Medical Center, Kettering, Ohio, USA

    R. A. Sansone MD (Director of Psychiatry Education)

  3. Department of Psychiatry, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA

    J. W. Chu

  4. Department of Human Relations at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina, USA

    M. W. Wiederman

  5. Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA

    C. Lam

Authors
  1. R. A. Sansone MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J. W. Chu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. W. Wiederman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. C. Lam
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sansone, R.A., Chu, J.W., Wiederman, M.W. et al. Eating disorder symptoms and borderline personality symptomatology. Eat Weight Disord 16, e81–e85 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325313

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325313

Key words

Search

Navigation