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The following is a summary of “Clinical heterogeneity of feeding and eating disorders: using personality psychopathology to differentiate “simplex” and “complex” phenotypes,” published in the December 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Colizzi et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to explore the heterogeneity of Feeding and Eating Disorders (FED) based on the co-occurrence of FED symptoms and personality psychopathology. 

They performed Latent Profile Analysis on patients with FED using the Eating Disorders Inventory-3 (EDI-3) for FED symptoms and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 for personality traits. Profiles were compared across socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. 

The results showed that 3 FED profiles were identified among 109 patients: FED simplex, FED simplex-severe, and FED complex-severe. Profiles differed significantly in Body Mass Index (BMI) (K(2) = 15.06, adjusted-P = 0.001), EDI-3 Eating Disorder Risk Composite (K(2) = 43.08, adjusted-P < 0.001), Body Uneasiness Test Global Severity Index (GSI) (K(2) = 29.33, adjusted-P < 0.001), Binge Eating Scale severity (K(2) = 25.49, adjusted-P < 0.001), number of psychiatric diagnoses (K(2) = 8.79, adjusted-P = 0.021), number of personality diagnoses (K(2) = 11.86, adjusted-P = 0.005), and Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R ) GSI (F(2,103) = 37.68, adjusted-P < 0.001). FED complex-severe patients were the most impaired in terms of symptoms, body concerns, depersonalization, and psychiatric comorbidities. 

They supported the hypothesis of distinguishing FED simplex and complex phenotypes based on the co-occurrence of dysfunctional personality.  

Source: bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-024-06345-3