Abstract

Objective: The authors examined the impact of co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on women with borderline personality disorder who had attempted suicide in the preceding year. Method: Female borderline personality disorder outpatients (N=94) either with (N=53, 56.4%) or without PTSD (N=41, 43.6%) and with recent and repeated suicidal or self-injurious behavior were compared in nine areas of functioning. Results: Borderline personality disorder patients with and without PTSD differed in the lethality, intent, and triggers for intentional self-injury, trauma history, emotion regulation, and axis I comorbidity. The two groups did not differ in borderline personality disorder severity, axis II comorbidity, psychosocial functioning, or mental health or medical treatment utilization. Conclusions: The results indicate greater impairment among individuals with both disorders and suggest that there are some unique features associated with co-occurring borderline personality disorder and PTSD that require further attention in assessment and treatment.