Associated diagnoses (comorbidity) in patients with borderline personality disorder

The authors administered the Diagnostic Interview Schedule to 21 patients with borderline personality disorder. The patients met criteria for various other DSM-III diagnoses, meeting exclusion criteria in some cases, and not in other cases. Frequency distribution of each diagnosis and the diagnoses of each individual patient, are presented. Affective disorder was the most common diagnosis (85%). Of these, 62% had primary major depression, and 23% had secondary depression. Other diagnoses include bipolar disorder, dysthymia, panic, agoraphobia, alcohol and Drug abuse, somatization disorder, and many others. The authors conclude that while borderline disorder may be a sub-affective disorder, a specific diagnostic profile for this disorder that accounts for the presence of other Axis I and Axis II syndromes has yet to be delineated.