An Examination of DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms and Risk for Death by Suicide: a Psychological Autopsy Study

A psychological autopsy study with best informants was used to investigate DSM-IV borderline personality disorder symptoms & suicide risk among 62 people who died by suicide & met criteria for borderline personality disorder & 35 borderline personality disorder control subjects. Borderline personality disorder symptoms in people who died by suicide were less likely to include affective instability & paranoid ideation-dissociative symptoms. The negative association between paranoid ideation-dissociative symptoms & suicide was independent of all other borderline personality disorder symptoms, Cluster B comorbidity, & alcohol dependence. (39 refs.)