The pseudoborderline syndrome. A proposal based on case studies

The term pseudoborderline syndrome refers to a form of atypical, masked depression with the symptomatology of borderline personality disorder. In contrast to what have been previously described as "subaffective disorders," the condition presented here develops later in life, after a premorbid history of high social function and after long-lasting stresses or multiple losses before onset. Long-term course is that of an affective disorder, sometimes ending in suicide if not treated. It is also suggested that these patients undergo a process of regression under the influence of a chronic exposure to stress. The condition was initially observed among Eastern European immigrant patients but may also occur among individuals in high-stress jobs. The name "pseudoborderline syndrome" is proposed and it is speculated that masked affective disorders may appear in the form of "pseudo-syndromes"--pseudodementia, pseudomania, pseudohypochondriasis, pseudoborderline.