Personality Vulnerabilities as Risk Factors for Eating Disorders

In the present chapter, we describe the relationship between personality (disorders) and eating disorders (EDs). First, we provide an overview of existing conceptual models linking personality and EDs, which are further differentiated between anorexia nervosa, restrictive (AN-R) and binge eating/purging type (AN-BP), bulimia nervosa (BN), binge eating disorder (BED), and unspecified feeding or eating disorder (UFED). Then, we describe the associations with categorical personality disorders (DSM-5, Section II) as well as personality traits following the classification of the DSM-5 (Section III;Criterion B), the Big Five Model, and the Psychobiological Model of Cloninger. For each model, we compare personality disorders and traits between patients with EDs and healthy controls, among patients with different ED subtypes, and between patients with recovered and persistent EDs. In the final section, we summarize the most important findings, formulate clinical implications, and consider future research avenues.