Who are borderline patients?

"Borderline" is a term used with increasing frequency to describe certain difficult patients. It refers to a heterogeneous population of patients who tend to get involved in impaired doctor-patient relationships. Different areas of psychiatry have their own, often conflicting definitions of these disorders. Early trauma, neglect and genetic diatheses to axis I disorders commonly occur in the backgrounds of these patients. Most have a combination of factors. With the multiple different definitions and the potential for misuse of the term, it should be used with caution and with an understanding of what definition is being used. Treatment and prognostic implications need to be individualized.