Impact of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder on suicidal women with borderline personality disorder.

Abstract

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. 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. 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. 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.