The Relationship Between Medically Self-Sabotaging Behaviors and Borderline Personality Disorder Among Psychiatric Inpatients

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we hypothesized and explored a relationship between medically selfsabotaging behaviors and borderline personality disorder.Method: Using a cross-sectional self-report survey methodology, we examined 120 psychiatric inpatients, who were not psychotic, demented, medically ill, or cognitively impaired, being treated in an urban community hospital located in a midsized, midwestern city (sample of convenience) for medically self-sabotaging behaviors (author-developed survey) and borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder was assessed with the following 3 measures: the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4), the Self-Harm Inventory Results: For the 76 respondents (63.3%) who reported having engaged in at least 1 medically self-sabotaging behavior, the mean number of different medically self-sabotaging behaviors was 4.11 (SD = 3.93). With regard to the most commonly endorsed behaviors, approximately one quarter of participants acknowledged damaging self on purpose and seeking medical treatment; not going for medical treatment, despite needing it, to purposefully hurt self; not taking a prescribed medication to hurt self; and gravitating toward a dangerous situation hoping to be physically hurt. As hypothesized, greater numbers of self-reported medically self-sabotaging behaviors were related to higher scores on the PDQ-4 (r = 0.28, p < .01), the SHI (r = 0.55, p < .001), and the MSI-BPD (r = 0.41, p < .001).Conclusions: Medically self-sabotaging behaviors are commonly encountered in psychiatric inpatients with borderline personality disorder.(Prim Care Companion J Clin Psychiatry 2008;10:448-452)

Patient safety in inpatient mental health settings: a systematic review

“…One paper explored the prevalence of self-harm 283. Two studies explored risk factors for self-harm which included use of psychotropic medication 284 285. Eight papers explored staff attitudes and experiences of managing self-harm,286–293 and three explored patient experiences 294–296.…”

The Abuse of Prescription Medications: Borderline Personality Patients in Psychiatric versus Non-Psychiatric Settings

“…Participants consisted of 806 females and 233 males (N = 1039), from both psychiatric settings (n = 440) [15][16][17][18][19] and predominantly primary care settings (i.e., internal medicine, n = 332; bariatric medicine, n = 121; family medicine, n = 34; and buprenorphine treatment center, n = 112) [12,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26], who participated in one of 13 separate research projects.…”

Interference With Wound Healing

“…Results. In the psychiatric samples (n = 441), [1][2][3][4] 325 respondents (73.7%) exceeded the PDQ cut-off score for BPS. Compared to psychiatric respondents who did not exceed the PDQ cut-off score (n = 116), the BPS group was significantly more likely to endorse "prevented wounds from healing" (16.9% vs 9.5%, t 1,439 = 2.16, P < .05).…”

“…Method. Participants consisted of 771 females and 269 males (N = 1,040), both from psychiatric settings (all from 1 inpatient site, n = 441) [1][2][3][4] and from various medical settings (ie, internal medicine, all from the same site (references 5-9 and R.A.S. ; L. Gebauer, MD; T. Moussa, MD; et al, unpublished manuscript, 2007), n = 332; bariatric medicine, from 1 site, 10 n = 121; family medicine, from 1 site, n = 34 11 ; buprenorphine treatment, from 1 site, 12 n = 112), who participated in 1 of 13 separate research projects.…”