Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6(7), 2076-2089; doi:10.3390/ijerph6072076
Article

The Relationship between Concurrent Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders with Personality Disorders

Christine Courbasson 1,* email and Jacqueline M. Brunshaw 2 email
1 Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2S1 Canada 2 Eating Disorders and Addiction Clinic, Concurrent Disorders Service, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 2S1 Canada
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 15 June 2009 / Accepted: 19 July 2009 / Published: 23 July 2009
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Drug Abuse and Addiction)
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Abstract: Objective: The current pilot study investigated whether patients with concurrent substance use disorders and eating disorders (SUD and ED) who experienced a reduction in SUD and ED symptoms following treatment for SUD and ED also experienced a reduction in personality disorder (PD) symptoms. Method: Twenty patients with SUD and ED and PD were assessed pre and post treatment using clinical interviews, self-report questionnaires, and a therapist questionnaire on DSM-IV-TR symptoms for PD. Results: Symptoms for the personality disorders were reduced following treatment. This reduction was correlated with a decrease in the number of symptoms of ED at post treatment. Discussion: Chronic concurrent SUD and ED may make it difficult to separate PD symptoms from co-occurring disorders. Many features attributed to PDs may be reduced when problematic substance use and disordered eating are addressed, a fact that may increase clinician and patients’optimism about therapeutic change.
Keywords: substance use disorders; eating disorders; personality disorders; avoidant personality disorder; borderline personality disorder; obsessive compulsive personality disorder

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Courbasson, C.; Brunshaw, J.M. The Relationship between Concurrent Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders with Personality Disorders. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2009, 6, 2076-2089.

AMA Style

Courbasson C, Brunshaw JM. The Relationship between Concurrent Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders with Personality Disorders. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2009; 6(7):2076-2089.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Courbasson, Christine; Brunshaw, Jacqueline M. 2009. "The Relationship between Concurrent Substance Use Disorders and Eating Disorders with Personality Disorders." Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 6, no. 7: 2076-2089.

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