Longitudinal Description and Prediction of Smoking Among Borderline Patients: An 18-Year Follow-Up Study.

Objective: The objectives of this study were (1) to compare smoking between recovered and non-recovered patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) over the course of 18 years and (2) to assess baseline predictors of tobacco use in patients with BPD.Methods: A total of 264 borderline patients were interviewed concerning their smoking history beginning at the 6-year follow-up wave in a longitudinal study of the course of BPD (McLean Study of Adult Development) and re-interviewed at 2-year intervals over the next 18 years. Initial data collection of the larger study happened between June 1992 and December 1995, and the DSM-III-R and the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) were used as the diagnostic instruments for BPD.Results: Recovered patients had a 48% lower prevalence of smoking than non-recovered patients at 6-year follow-up (a significant difference; P = .01). Also, the rate of decline in smoking for the recovered group was 68% and was significantly faster (P = .008) than for the non-recovered group over the subsequent 18 years. Alcohol abuse or dependence (relative risk [RR] = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.06-1.40; P = .005), lower levels of education (RR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.15-1.42; P < .001), and higher levels of the defense mechanism of denial (RR = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.13; P = .002) were significant predictors of smoking in borderline patients in multivariate analyses.Conclusions: Taken together, the results of this study suggest that recovery status was an important element in the prevalence of smoking among borderline patients over time. They also suggest that smoking was predicted by 3 factors: prior psychopathology, demographics, and psychological maturity.

Residential eating disorder outcomes associated with screening positive for substance use disorder and borderline personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE: We examined whether eating disorder (ED) outcome trajectories during residential treatment differed for patients screening positive for comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs) than those who do not. METHOD: We examined data from patients in a residential ED treatment program. Patients completed validated self-report surveys to screen for SUDs and BPD on admission, and the ED Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) on admission and every 2 weeks until discharge (N = 479 females). RESULTS: Fifty-four percent screened positive for at least one co-occurring condition. At admission, patients screening positive for SUD and/or BPD had significantly greater eating pathology than patients screening negative for both (t[477] = 8.23, p < .001). Patients screening positive for SUD (independent of BPD screening status) had a significantly faster rate of symptom improvement during the initial 4 weeks than patients screening positive for BPD only and those with no comorbidities. DISCUSSION: Screening positive for SUD and/or BPD was common in residential ED treatment, and associated with more severe ED symptoms. Screening positive for SUD was associated with faster ED symptom improvement than screening positive for BPD. These findings suggest that intensive ED treatment, even in the absence of intensive SUD treatment, may enhance patient outcomes for those with SUDs.

The relationship between religion and health-related behaviours in patients with borderline personality disorder.

With addictive disorders frequently co-occurring among patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), exploring factors that may influence health-related behaviours, like religious involvement, is important. This study assesses whether religious involvement is associated with smoking and alcohol use disorders (AUDs) in BPD subjects. This study used data from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC), which used the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disabilities Interview Schedule--DSM-IV (AUDADIS-IV) as its assessment instrument. The AUDADIS-IV assessed personality disorders, tobacco usage, the presence of AUDs, and religious involvement. Attending a place of worship and weekly or more frequent worship attendance were significantly associated with reduced likelihood of current smoking and AUDs among BPD subjects. AUDs were also significantly less common in those reporting higher subjective religiousness. In conclusion, people with BPD who are religiously inclined are less likely to engage in addictive behaviours, specifically smoking and AUDs.

The use of prescription opioid medication by patients with borderline personality disorder and axis II comparison subjects: a 10-year follow-up study.

OBJECTIVE: The first purpose was to determine the rate of use of prescription opioid medication reported by patients with borderline personality disorder and to compare that to the rate reported by Axis II comparison subjects during a 10-year period of prospective follow-up. The second purpose was to determine the most clinically relevant predictors of prescription opioid use among borderline patients. METHOD: The medical conditions and Axis I disorders of 264 borderline patients and 63 Axis II comparison subjects were assessed at 6-year follow-up and 5 contiguous follow-up waves that were 2 years apart. These assessments were conducted between July 1998 and December 2010. Family history of psychiatric disorder was assessed at baseline by interviewers blind to the diagnostic status of the subjects. All 3 areas were assessed using semistructured interviews with proven psychometric properties: the Medical History and Services Utilization Interview (MHSUI), the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R Axis I Disorders (SCID-I), and the Revised Family History Questionnaire. RESULTS: Borderline patients were significantly more likely to report the use of prescription opioid medication over time than Axis II comparison subjects (OR = 1.79; 95% CI, 1.01-3.17). The best predictors of opioid use among borderline patients were the time-varying presence of back pain (OR = 1.95; 95% CI, 1.41-2.70), fibromyalgia (OR = 3.29; 95% CI, 1.70-6.36), and osteoarthritis (OR =3.32; 95% CI, 2.08-5.29) as well as a baseline history of drug abuse (OR= 1.89; 95% CI, 1.27-2.81). CONCLUSIONS: The sustained use of prescription opioids is common among and discriminating for patients with borderline personality disorder. The results also suggest that these borderline patients may be particularly sensitive to physical pain-mirroring their well-known heightened sensitivity to emotional pain.

The relationship of chronic medical illnesses, poor health-related lifestyle choices, and health care utilization to recovery status in borderline patients over a decade of prospective follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The interaction of borderline personality disorder (BPD) with physical health has not been well characterized. In this longitudinal study, we investigated the long-term relationship of chronic medical illnesses, health-related lifestyle choices, and health services utilization to recovery status in borderline patients over a decade of prospective follow-up. METHOD: 264 borderline patients were interviewed concerning their physical health at 6-year follow-up in a longitudinal study of the course of BPD. This sample was then reinterviewed five times at two-year intervals over the next ten years. We defined recovery from BPD based on a Global Assessment of Functioning score of 61 or higher, which required BPD remission, one close relationship, and full-time competent and consistent work or school attendance. We controlled for potentially confounding effects of time-varying major depressive disorder. RESULTS: Never-recovered borderline patients were significantly more likely than ever-recovered borderline patients to have a medical syndrome, obesity, osteoarthritis, diabetes, urinary incontinence, or multiple medical conditions (p<0.0063). They were also significantly more likely to report pack-per-day smoking, weekly alcohol use, no regular exercise, daily sleep medication use, or pain medication overuse (p<0.0083). In addition, never-recovered borderline patients were significantly more likely than ever-recovered borderline patients to undergo a medical emergency room visit, medical hospitalization, X-ray, CT scan, or MRI scan (p<0.0063). CONCLUSIONS: Over a decade of prospective follow-up, failure to recover from BPD seems to be associated with a heightened risk of chronic medical illnesses, poor health-related lifestyle choices, and costly health services utilization.

Reported childhood onset of self-mutilation among borderline patients.

The purpose of this study was to determine the percentage of borderline patients who first engaged in self-mutilation as children and to compare the parameters of their self-harm to those of borderline patients who first harmed themselves at an older age. Two hundred and ninety inpatients meeting both Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R; Zanarini, Gunderson, Frankenburg, & Chauncey, 1989) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. ref.) (DSM-III-R; APA, 1987) criteria for borderline personality disorder were interviewed about their history of self-mutilation. Of the 91% with a history of self mutilation, 32.8% reported first harming themselves as children (12 years of age or younger), 30.2% as adolescents (13-17 years of age), and 37% as adults (18 or older). Using logistic regression analyses and controlling for baseline age, it was found that those with a childhood onset reported more episodes of self-harm, a longer duration of self-harm, and a greater number of methods of self-harm than either those with an adolescent or adult onset to their self-mutilation. The results of this study suggest that a sizable minority of borderline patients first engage in self-harm as children and that the course of their self-mutilation may be particularly malignant.

Obesity and obesity-related illnesses in borderline patients.

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence, risk factors, and consequences of obesity in borderline patients 6 years after an index admission for psychiatric reasons. Two hundred and sixty-four borderline patients who met Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R; Zanarini, Gunderson, Frankenburg, & Chauncy, 1989) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed. ref.) (DSM-III-R; APA, 1987) criteria for BPD were interviewed concerning their body mass index (BMI) and related medical problems. Seventy-four of the 264 borderline patients at 6-year follow up were obese, having a BMI > or = 30 kg/m2. They were significantly more likely than the nonobese patients to report suffering from diabetes, hypertension, osteoarthritis, chronic back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, urinary incontinence, gastroesophageal reflux disorder, gallstones, and asthma. Four significant risk factors were found: chronic PTSD, lack of exercise, a family history of obesity, and a recent history of psychotropic polypharmacy. These results suggest that obesity is common among heavily treated borderline patients and is associated with a number of chronic medical disorders.

Mental health service utilization by borderline personality disorder patients and Axis II comparison subjects followed prospectively for 6 years.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the psychiatric treatment received by a well-defined sample of patients with borderline personality disorder and Axis II comparison subjects over 6 years of prospective follow-up. METHOD: 362 inpatients were interviewed about their treatment histories during their index admission (1992-1995). 290 patients met both Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines and DSM-III-R criteria for borderline personality disorder and 72 met DSM-III-R criteria for at least 1 nonborderline Axis II disorder (and neither criteria set for borderline personality disorder). Over 94% of surviving patients were re-interviewed about their psychiatric treatment histories 2, 4, and 6 years later. RESULTS: Only 33% of borderline patients were hospitalized during the final 2 years of the 6-year follow-up, a substantial decline from the 79% who had prior hospitalizations at baseline. Much the same pattern emerged for day and/or residential treatment (from 55% to 22%). In contrast, about three quarters of borderline patients were still in psychotherapy and taking psychotropic medications after 6 years of follow-up. Additionally, over 70% of borderline patients participating in these outpatient modalities did so for at least 75% of each follow-up period. While rates of intensive psychotherapy declined significantly over time (from 36% to 16%), rates of intensive polypharmacy remained relatively stable over time, with about 40% of borderline patients taking 3 or more concurrent standing medications during each follow-up period, about 20% taking 4 or more, and about 10% taking 5 or more. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that the majority of borderline patients continue to use outpatient treatment in a sustained manner through 6 years of follow-up, but only a declining minority use more restrictive and costly forms of treatment.

Update on pharmacotherapy of borderline personality disorder.

Pharmacotherapy is a very common form of treatment for borderline personality disorder or its concomitant disorders. This paper reviews all the open-label and placebo-controlled trials of second generation medications studied in samples of well-defined borderline patients. Most of the medications studied in double-blind, placebo-controlled trials were efficacious. Most of these medications were also useful in treating symptoms of affective dysregulation and impulsive aggression, which have been suggested to be the core dimensions of psychopathology of underlying borderline personality disorder. Taken together, the results of these studies suggest that the choice of medication can be guided as much by tolerability and safety as by symptom presentation. It also suggests that the common practice of polypharmacy, which has no empiric support, may be unnecessary for most patients with borderline personality disorder.

The association between borderline personality disorder and chronic medical illnesses, poor health-related lifestyle choices, and costly forms of health care utilization.

OBJECTIVE: The physical health of patients with borderline personality disorder has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to compare the physical health, lifestyle choices affecting physical health, and health care utilization of patients with remitted and nonremitted borderline personality disorder. METHOD: 200 patients who no longer met the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) and DSM-III-R criteria for borderline personality disorder and 64 patients who still met study criteria for borderline personality disorder were interviewed from June 1992 through December 2001 concerning their physical health, lifestyle choices, and use of medical care 6 years after their initial participation in a larger study of the longitudinal course of borderline personality disorder. RESULTS: Remitted borderline patients were found to be significantly less likely than non-remitted borderline patients to have a history of a "syndrome-like" condition (i.e., chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, or temporomandibular joint syndrome) (p = .049) or to have a history of obesity (p = .026), osteoarthritis (p = .025), diabetes (p = .001), hypertension (p = .028), back pain (p < .001), or urinary incontinence (p < .001). They were also found to be significantly less likely to report pack per day smoking (p = .002), daily consumption of alcohol (p = .003), lack of regular exercise (p = .006), daily use of sleep medications (p < .001), and sustained use of pain medications (p = .026). In addition, remitted borderline patients were significantly less likely than nonremitted borderline patients to have had at least 1 medically related emergency room visit (p < .001), 1 medical hospitalization (p = .003), or 1 of each (p< .001). CONCLUSIONS: The failure to remit from borderline personality disorder seems to be associated with a heightened risk of suffering from chronic physical conditions, making poor health-related lifestyle choices, and using costly forms of medical services.