Impact of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder on suicidal women with borderline personality disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The authors examined the impact of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on women with borderline personality disorder who had attempted suicide in the preceding year.


METHODS
Female borderline personality disorder outpatients (N=94) either with (N=53, 56.4%) or without PTSD (N=41, 43.6%) and with recent and repeated suicidal or self-injurious behavior were compared in nine areas of functioning.


RESULTS
Borderline personality disorder patients with and without PTSD differed in the lethality, intent, and triggers for intentional self-injury, trauma history, emotion regulation, and axis I comorbidity. The two groups did not differ in borderline personality disorder severity, axis II comorbidity, psychosocial functioning, or mental health or medical treatment utilization.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate greater impairment among individuals with both disorders and suggest that there are some unique features associated with co-occurring borderline personality disorder and PTSD that require further attention in assessment and treatment.
Harned
Melanie S
MS
Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 3935 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105, USA. mharned@u.washington.edu
Rizvi
Shireen L
SL
Linehan
Marsha M
MM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires