Psychological Comorbidity and Personality Disorders

Eating disorders are often associated with other mental disorders. The central theme of the chapter is therefore the comorbidity between eating disorders, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, sexual disorders, and the various subtypes of personality disorder. These comorbid conditions can be understood as risk factors for eating disorders or as complications of an eating disorder. Furthermore, common risk factors and pathomechanisms between eating disorders and other disorders can be assumed. The chapter presents the implications of comorbidity for the clinical presentation of an eating disorder as well as for the evidence base and selection of psychotherapeutic and pharmacotherapeutic interventions in eating disorders.