**8. Bulimia nervosa and personality disorders. Brief conclusions**


 The suicide, as cause of death in bulimia nervosa, represents 20% of mortality. Among the patients with bulimia nervosa, almost 30% commit life-long suicide attempts. The more frequent the presence of self-harms is the higher is the prevalence of bulimic

Self-harm may be associated with some common symptoms (e.g. bingeing) more than

 Different studies have found higher levels of impulsive behaviour (substance abuse, self-harm) in individuals who have been abused, and a high likelihood of physical or

A higher incidence of self-harm in bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa purging-type

It seems to have a consensus on the fact that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the most characteristic in patients with eating disorders, mainly in those with bulimia nervosa with a range of prevalence between 2%-50%. Such a wide range has lead to state that there might be a conceptual confusion between BPD and bulimia nervosa, due to the frequent overlap of their symptoms. With regards to anorexia nervosa, this BPD is more frequent in the purging-type. Different behaviours, which are frequent among bulimic patients (e.g., impulsivity, lack of control, self-harm), also are common in the BPD, this suggesting the

The presence of BPD in bulimic patients causes a poor prognostic, and this BPD has been mainly related to the presence of purging behaviours (bulimia nervosa and anorexia

e. The wide range of co-occurrence between bulimia nervosa and BPD could indicate

f. In those patients with bulimia nervosa and BPD, the association with other disorders

g. Patients with bulimia nervosa and BPD usually refer a history of sexual abuse, self-

 The high variability observed with respect to this comorbidity is usually associated with methodological biases and the used diagnostic criteria, as well as with the biases

The presence of a personality disorder in these patients is associated with a higher

**7.1 Main facts with regards to the association between bulimia nervosa and BPD** 

b. Patients with bulimia nervosa and BPD show a high level of psychopathology.

**6.1 Summarising** 

symptoms.

with a specific diagnostic.

sexual abuse in individuals with eating disorders.

possible conceptual confusion between the two disorders.

nervosa purging-type) (Gargallo, Fernández Aranda, et al., 2003).

a. BPD is the most frequently associated with bulimia nervosa.

c. Patients with bulimia nervosa and BPD have a poor prognostic. d. Patients with both disorders show a poor treatment adherence.

(e.g., depression, substance abuse/dependence) is frequent.

introduced by the heterogeneity of the analysed samples.

severity of the disorder, being indicative of a worse prognosis.

harm during their adolescence and hostile family environment.

**8. Bulimia nervosa and personality disorders. Brief conclusions** 

There is a high comorbidity between bulimia nervosa and personality disorders.

severe methodological problems, as well as conceptual confusion.

than in the anorexia nervosa restrictive type has been reported.

**7. Bulimia nervosa and borderline personality disorder** 

