Abstract
Studies have shown that eating disorders and substance use disorders often co-occur and share common clinical and biological substrates. Given the high prevalence of co-occurring eating and substance use disorders, it is important to explore the impact of the dual-diagnosis on treatment outcomes. The present study compared individuals with an eating disorder only (ED) to those with a comorbid eating and substance use disorder (ED-SUD) on several factors related to 6-month post-treatment outcomes in eating attitudes and behavior and quality of life. Results show that both ED and ED-SUD clients experience significant improvements in self-reported eating disorder symptoms and concerns, as well as quality of life functioning. There were no significant differences in outcomes between ED and ED-SUD clients, which suggests that the two conditions can be successfully treated together.