Personality dimensions among women with an eating disorder: Towards reconceptualizing DSM

Objective To evaluate the incremental validity of a dimensional assessment of personality, after controlling for diagnostic category, in accounting for meaningful variation in eating disorder attitudes and behaviours and in current affective distress among a clinical sample of eating disordered women. Methods 244 treatment seeking eating disordered women and 116 non‐eating disordered women were assessed with the NEO five factor inventory (NEO‐FFI), and with measures of eating disorder attitudes and of affective distress using a cross sectional design. Results As predicted, differences were found between eating disordered and non‐eating disordered women on several NEO‐FFI scales, which provided a context for subsequent analyses. NEO‐FFI scales accounted for meaningful variation in eating disordered attitudes and behaviours as well as in levels of current affective distress over and above DSM‐IV diagnostic category. Conclusion A flexible approach to diagnosis, which includes personality dimensions along with a description of eating disorder symptoms, may result in a more inclusive and useful diagnostic scheme for treating women with eating disorders. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.