Borderline personality disorder definition

Minggu, 03 Januari 2010

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex and serious mental
disorder. It is estimated to occur in 1%–2% of the general population
(Torgersen et al. 2001) and is the most common personality disorder for
which people receive treatment. Ten percent of all psychiatric outpatients
and 15%–20% of inpatients are estimated to have BPD (Widiger
and Frances 1989). BPD is characterized by severe impairment in functioning
(Skodol et al. 2002a), extensive use of psychiatric treatments
(Bender et al. 2001), and a mortality rate by suicide of almost 10%—50
times higher than the rate in the general population (Work Group on
Borderline Personality Disorder 2001). Nevertheless, effective treatments
for BPD exist, and the prognosis—even over as short an interval as
1–2 years—may be better than expected (Gunderson et al. 2003; Shea et
al. 2002).
From the perspectives of both the public and the mental health professional,
BPD can also be a confusing and poorly understood disorder.