Journal of affective disorders
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Comparative Study
Borderline personality disorder characteristics in young adults with recurrent mood disorders: a comparison of bipolar and unipolar depression.
In young adults it can be difficult to differentiate between an early bipolar illness and borderline personality disorder. There are considerable areas of clinical overlap between cyclothymic temperament, bipolar-spectrum disorders and borderline characteristics. The aim of this study was to measure borderline characteristics in young adults during an index depressive episode and to compare three diagnostic groups: DSM-IV bipolar affective disorder (BPAD); bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD); and DSM-IV recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD). ⋯ Young adults with bipolar depression exhibit significantly higher levels of borderline personality pathology than those with unipolar depression. Those borderline screening questions that reflect cyclothymic characteristics or depressive mixed states may be of practical use to clinicians in helping to differentiate between bipolar depression and unipolar depression in young adults.