Genetic vulnerability to eating disorders and substance use disorders

Abstract

It is well established that there is substantial comorbidity between eating disorders and substance use disorders. However, it is unclear why these two disorders frequently co-occur. It has been hypothesized that the two disorders may share a common etiology, which could be genetic in nature. There is ample evidence that the eating disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, and a variety of substance use disorders have a genetic component, yet little research has explored whether these genetic factors are shared. This chapter reviews the current empirical literature indicating that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and substance use disorders are influenced by genetic factors, as well as preliminary findings exploring whether these disorders indeed share a genetic architecture. We close with suggestions for future research to further elucidate the shared genetic risk between eating disorders and substance use disorders.