Psychotic reactivity in borderline personality disorder

  1. J.-P. Glaser1,
  2. J. Van Os1,2,
  3. V. Thewissen1,3,
  4. I. Myin-Germeys1,4

Article first published online: 25 JUN 2009

DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01427.x

Issue

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica

Volume 121, Issue 2, pages 125–134, February 2010

Additional Information

How to Cite

Glaser, J.-P., Van Os, J., Thewissen, V. and Myin-Germeys, I. (2010), Psychotic reactivity in borderline personality disorder. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 121: 125–134. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01427.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands

  2. 2

    Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

  3. 3

    Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands

  4. 4

    School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

*Dr Inez Myin-Germeys, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 616 (VIJV), 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands. E-mail: i.germeys@sp.unimaas.nl

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 JAN 2010
  2. Article first published online: 25 JUN 2009
  3. Accepted for publication May 29, 2009

SEARCH

SEARCH BY CITATION

ARTICLE TOOLS

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (170K)

Keywords:

  • borderline personality disorder;
  • psychotic disorders;
  • stress;
  • personality disorders;
  • paranoid disorders

Glaser J-P, Van Os J, Thewissen V, Myin-Germeys I. Psychotic reactivity in borderline personality disorder.

Objective:  To investigate the stress relatedness and paranoia specificity of psychosis in borderline personality disorder (BPD).

Method:  Fifty-six borderline patients, 38 patients with cluster C personality disorder, 81 patients with psychotic disorder and 49 healthy controls were studied with the experience sampling method (a structured diary technique) to assess: i) appraised subjective stress and ii) intensity of psychotic experiences.

Results:  All patient groups experienced significantly more increases in psychotic experiences in relation to daily life stress than healthy controls, borderline patients displaying the strongest reactivity. Borderline patients, moreover, reported significantly more hallucinatory reactivity than healthy controls and subjects with cluster C personality disorder. Paranoid reactivity to daily life stress did not differ between the patient groups.

Conclusion:  These results are the first to ecologically validate stress-related psychosis in BPD. However, psychotic reactivity was not limited to expression of paranoia but involved a broader range of psychotic experiences including hallucinations.

View Full Article (HTML) Get PDF (170K)