Is personality the key in cognitive-behavioral therapy for eating disorders? A review

Clin Psychol Psychother. 2021 Jun 10. doi: 10.1002/cpp.2627. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe efficacy of individual CBT for eating disorders can be assessed by investigating the potential predictors, mediators, and moderators of treatment. The present review focused on personality since its crucial role has been emphasized both by research and practice. Sixteen studies were collected, and data were extracted through a highly operationalized coding system. Overall, personality disorders were the most investigated construct; however, their influence was somewhat contradictory. A more cogent result occurred for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) when considered as a moderator (not a predictor, nor a mediator). Patients with a more disturbed borderline personality benefited to a greater extent from treatments including booster modules on affects, interpersonal relationships, and mood intolerance, rather than symptoms exclusively. Nine additional personality dimensions, beyond BPD, were investigated sparsely, and results regarding them were barely indicative in this review. However, some of these dimensions (e.g., affective lability and stimulus-seeking behaviors) could be traced back to BPD, thereby strengthening evidence of the role of borderline disorder as a moderator. Although research on the relationship between personality and eating disorders needs to be increased and methodologically improved, personality, taken as a whole, emerged as a promising variable for enhanci...
Source: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research