The Intersection of Anorexia Nervosa and Personality Disorders: A Comprehensive Review of Comorbidities, Influencing Factors, and Therapeutic Approaches

Abstract

Complex eating disorders like anorexia nervosa (AN) and personality disorders (PDs), including obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD), often co-occur. The confluence of PDs and AN poses distinct difficulties in terms of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy, complicating clinical management and producing less favorable results. To summarize the most recent findings on the co-occurrence of anorexia nervosa and personality disorders, this review will look at their prevalence, psychopathological relationships, effects on treatment results, and efficacy of different therapy modalities, with a thorough search conducted, concentrating on research published between 2000 and 2024, utilizing peer-reviewed publications from PubMed, PsycINFO, and Proquest. Past literature presents a substantial overlap between PDs and AN, and concomitant PDs have been linked to recurrence rates, treatment resistance, and more severe types of AN. The psychopathological relationships among these illnesses are complex, encompassing both common and unique etiological paths. Depending on the PD implicated, various therapy modalities, such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), have been investigated with varying degrees of success. This review emphasizes the need for more specialized, integrated treatment approaches targeting AN and concomitant PDs and appeals that future research should concentrate on creating tailored therapies and early detection techniques to enhance therapeutic results. The results emphasize the importance of considering personality pathology while managing AN to improve treatment efficacy and promote long-term recovery.