The 10-year course of physically self-destructive acts reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects

  1. M. C. Zanarini,
  2. F. R. Frankenburg,
  3. D. B. Reich,
  4. G. Fitzmaurice,
  5. I. Weinberg,
  6. J. G. Gunderson

Article first published online: 1 FEB 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01155.x

Issue

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

Volume 117, Issue 3, pages 177–184, March 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Zanarini, M. C., Frankenburg, F. R., Reich, D. B., Fitzmaurice, G., Weinberg, I. and Gunderson, J. G. (2008), The 10-year course of physically self-destructive acts reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 117: 177–184. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01155.x

Author Information

  1. Laboratory for the Study of Adult Development, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA and the Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

*Mary C. Zanarini, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. E-mail: zanarini@mclean.harvard.edu.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 1 FEB 2008
  2. Article first published online: 1 FEB 2008
  3. Accepted for publication 13 December 2007

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Keywords:

  • borderline personality disorder;
  • self-mutilation;
  • suicide attempts

Objective:  The purpose of this paper was to determine the frequency and methods of two forms of physically self-destructive acts (i.e. self-mutilation and suicide attempts) reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects over 10 years of prospective follow-up.

Method:  Two hundred and ninety borderline patients and 72 axis II comparison subjects were interviewed about their physically self-destructive acts during their index admission and at five contiguous 2-year follow-up periods.

Results:  It was found that a high percentage of borderline patients reported multiple acts and methods of each of these two forms of physically self-destructive behavior prior to their index admission. It was also found that the percentage of borderline patients reporting multiple acts and methods declined significantly over time. However, these acts remained significantly more common among borderline patients than axis II comparison subjects.

Conclusion:  The course of self-mutilation and suicide attempts among borderline patients is initially more serious and ultimately more benign than previously recognized.

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