title: Associations between identity diffusion, Axis II disorder, and psychopathology in inpatients with borderline personality disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from instability in their relationships, their affectivity, and their identity. However, the associations between these dimensions are not clear. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between identity diffusion and psychopathology in BPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the second week of inpatient treatment, 52 patients with BPD were assessed with the Inventory of Personality Organization (IPO) and questionnaires measuring general psychiatric symptoms, mood states, and negative affects (SCL-90-R, BDI, STAI, and STAXI). A median split was examined to differentiate BPD patients with high identity diffusion from those with low identity diffusion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BPD patients with high identity diffusion did not differ in their social data from BPD patients with low identity diffusion. However, BPD patients with high identity diffusion showed significantly higher levels of psychiatric symptoms, as well as higher anxiety, anger, and depression scores (p < 0.01). Moreover, they suffered more frequently from concurrent personality disorders (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate an association of identity diffusion with psychopathological symptoms and features of personality disorder and emphasize the clinical significance of identity diffusion for patients with BPD.
authors: Psychiatric Hospital, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors: Daniel
authors: D
authors: Sollberger
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Gremaud-Heitz
authors: Anke
authors: A
authors: Riemenschneider
authors: Joachim
authors: J
authors: Küchenhoff
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Dammann
authors: Marc
authors: M
authors: Walter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept