[Diminished culpability]. / Imputabilidad disminuida.

One of the central matters in forensic psychiatry is its culpability. Day after day we, the mental health professionals, are subpoenaed in different courts of our country to assess the mental state of a given individual in order to endorse a judge so that he can issue their view pertaining the culpability and the responsibility of accused subjects. Our current National Criminal Code, dating from 1921, in Art. 34 sub 1 holds for culpability a dichotomous model in which an individual is responsible and must be accountable for his behavior or not responsible and in such case must no be held accountable in criminal courts. This dichotomous model often does not permit the correct analysis of the psychopathology making sometimes the psychiatrist to force a conclusion according to this paradigm imposed by Justice. As we all know reality does not reflect itself under discrete categories and notwithstanding this is the written norm, people, thoughts, emotions and behaviors manifest in dimensions where boundaries are not always clear. Hence, we are considering it necessary to give effect to the impulses for the reform of the existing Criminal Code to lead to diminish culpability.

Time Left for Intervention in the Suicidal Process in Borderline Personality Disorder.

The objective of this study was to measure the duration of the suicidal process among patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The sample included 110 female patients who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for BPD and were consecutively admitted after suicide-related behavior. A total of 63 patients (58%) reported that their suicidal process lasted 10 minutes or less. After being adjusted, the ß coefficient of impulsivity scales in women with a suicidal process ≤10 minutes was lower compared to those observed in women with >10 min (ß = -0.03, 95% CI = -0.06 = -0.01, p < 0.01). Suicidal patients with BPD can be divided into two groups; patients who report a suicidal process less than 10 minutes show a higher degree of impulsivity.

Types of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in patients admitted for suicide-related behavior.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is determined by the presence of any five of nine diagnostic criteria, leading patients with heterogeneous clinical features to be diagnosed under the same label without an individualized clinical and therapeutic approach. In response to this problem, Oldham proposed five types of BPD: affective, impulsive, aggressive, dependent and empty. The present study categorized a sample of BPD patients hospitalized due to suicide-related behavior according to Oldham's BPD proposed subtypes, and evaluated their clinical and demographic characteristics. Data were obtained from a sample of 93 female patients admitted to the « Dr. Braulio A. Moyano ¼ Neuropsychiatric Hospital following suicide-related behavior. A total of 87 patients were classified as affective (26%), impulsive (37%), aggressive (4%), dependent (29%), and empty (5%). Patients classified as dependent were significantly older at the time of first suicide-related behavior (p = 0.0008) and reported significantly less events of previous suicide-related behaviors (p = 0.03), while patients classified as impulsive reported significantly higher rates of drug use (p = 0.02). Dependent, impulsive and affective BPD types were observed most frequently in our sample. Findings are discussed specific to demographic and clinical implications of BPD patients reporting concurrent suicidal behavior.