A person with an eating disorder will often be diagnosed with another mental health problem. Dual diagnosis or co-morbidity refers to the presence of one or more diseases or disorders in one individual.

There is a high level of co-morbidity of psychiatric illnesses with eating disorders. Eating disorders are most commonly accompanied by depression and anxiety disorders; however, substance abuse and personality disorders are prevalent in people with eating disorders.

• Approximately 45% to 86% of people with eating disorders have depression
• Approximately 64% of people with eating disorders have an anxiety disorder
• Approximately 58% of people with eating disorders have a personality disorder
• The standardised mortality rate for suicide among people with eating disorders is 23.14 – the highest of any psychiatric illness

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