Community and Clinical Epidemiology of Borderline Personality Disorder

Several studies of the prevalence of borderline personality disorder in community and clinical settings have been carried out to date. Although results vary according to sampling method and assessment method, median point prevalence is roughly 1%, with higher or lower rates in certain community subpopulations. In clinical settings, the prevalence is around 10% to 12% in outpatient psychiatric clinics and 20% to 22% among inpatient clinics. Further research is needed to identify the prevalence and correlates of borderline personality disorder in other clinical settings (eg, primary care) and to investigate the impact of demographic variables on borderline personality disorder prevalence.