BPD

Question 1

when was the term “borderline personality disorder” first introduced into the DSM?

Answer 1

DSM-III

Question 2

when BPD was first introduced in the DSM, what were its specific diagnostic criteria?

Answer 2

(DSM-III)
1. intense affect
2. impulsivity
3. relationship problems
4. (sometimes) brief psychotic episodes

Question 3

what term is used for BPD in the ICD-10?

Answer 3

“emotionally unstable disorder”

Question 4

what is the criterion A for BPD? how many other symptoms must a person meet?

Answer 4

• no real criterion A, but the individual should display pronounced, wide ranging, unstable, and impulsive patterns in their relationship, sense of self, and emotions, beginning by the time they reach their mid 20s
• +5 other symptoms

Question 5

what are the main characteristics of BPD?

Answer 5

1. emotional instability
2. relationship instability
3. instability of sense of self
4. behavioural instability
5. (often) dissociation

Question 6

what did Baskin-Sommers et al’s study reveal about the cognitive mechanisms behind BPD?

Answer 6

people with BPD demonstrated a hyper-vigilance and hypersensitivity to emotional fluctuation

Question 7

what is the proposed relationship between serotonin and BPD?

Answer 7

• low serotonin activity found in BPD patients
• SSRIs improve aggressive impulsivity, but don’t seem to have an effect on overall mood symptoms

Question 8

what is the proposed relationship between dopamine and BPD?

Answer 8

• dopamine dysfunction is found in BPD patients
• antipsychotic meds that target the dopamine system have a moderate effect in treating BPD
• impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and emotional dysregulation are related to low dopamine activity

Question 9

according to Dutton, why is there a positive association between BPD and IPV?

Answer 9

• people with BPD set unrealistically high standards for their partner
• they tend to blame their partner when things go wrong
• they constantly test their relationships
• they demonstrate poor impulse control

Question 10

what % of people with BPD attempt suicide? how many die by suicide?

Answer 10

• 70% attempt
• 10% die

Question 11

what is the most common reason why people with BPD attempt suicide?

Answer 11

to make other people better off

Question 12

what % of people with BPD experience dissociation/paranoid ideas?

Answer 12

75%

Question 13

what is the lifetime prevalence of BPD?

Answer 13

1-2%

Question 14

how high is comorbidity in BPD patients? what are the most common comorbid conditions?

Answer 14

• very high, to the point where some people argue against BPD as a distinct diagnosis
• most people with BPD meet criteria for a mood disorder, anxiety disorder, or SUD
• MDD and PTSD are most common

Question 15

what % of BPD cases can be successfully teated?

Answer 15

88%

Question 16

what type of psychosocial treatment is most effective in treating BPD?

Answer 16

• DBT
• involves practicing both acceptance and change

Question 17

what is Linehan’s biosocial theory of BPD?

Answer 17

people with BPD have…
an inherited biological predisposition towards difficulty regulating emotions
+
a chronically invalidating family environment

Question 18

what are the 3 stages of DBT used to treat BPD?

Answer 18

1. address issues fundamental to surviving and functioning
2. work to reduce distress stemming from past trauma
3. address long-term issues and goals

Question 19

do people with BPD have hallucinations?

Answer 19

they can, but they tend to have more insight than people with psychosis

Question 20

who first coined the term “borderline” and when?

Answer 20

Adolf Stern c. 1938

Question 21

is BPD more common in women or men?

Answer 21

women