A systematic review of personality disorders and health outcomes

Personality disorders (PDs) have been associated with a wide swath of adverse health outcomes and correspondingly high costs to health care systems. To date, however, there has not been a systematic review of the literature on health conditions among individuals with PDs. The primary aim of this article is to review research documenting the associations between PDs and health conditions. A systematic review of the literature revealed 78 unique empirical English-language, peer-reviewed articles examining the association of PDs and health outcomes over the past 15 years. Specifically, we reviewed research examining the association of PDs with sleep disturbance, obesity, pain conditions, and other chronic health conditions. In addition, we evaluated research on candidate mechanisms underlying health problems in PDs and potential treatments for such disorders. Results underscore numerous deleterious health outcomes associated with PD features and PD diagnoses and suggest potential biological and behavioural factors that may account for these relations. Guidelines for future research in this area are discussed.