Reported childhood onset of self-mutilation among borderline patients.
The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of borderline patients who first engaged in self-mutilation as children and to compare the parameters of their self-harm to those of borderline patients who first harmed themselves at an older age. Two hundred and ninety inpatients meeting both Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R; Zanarini, Gunderson, Frankenburg, & Chauncey, 1989) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. ref.) (DSM-III-R; APA, 1987) criteria for borderline personality disorder were interviewed about their history of self-mutilation. Of the 91% with a history of self mutilation, 32.8% reported first harming themselves as children (12 years of age or younger), 30.2% as adolescents (13-17 years of age), and 37% as adults (18 or older). Using logistic regression analyses and controlling for baseline age, it was found that those with a childhood onset reported more episodes of self-harm, a longer duration of self-harm, and a greater number of methods of self-harm than either those with an adolescent or adult onset to their self-mutilation. The results of this study suggest that a sizable minority of borderline patients first engage in self-harm as children and that the course of their self-mutilation may be particularly malignant.
Zanarini
Mary C
MC
Laboratory for the Study of Adult Development, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. zanarini@mclean.harvard.edu
Frankenburg
Frances R
FR
Ridolfi
Maria E
ME
Jager-Hyman
Shari
S
Hennen
John
J
Gunderson
John G
JG
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D000296:Adolescent Psychiatry; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008404:Massachusetts / Q000453:epidemiology; D011567:Psychiatric Department, Hospital; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*