Severity of affective temperament and maladaptive self-schemas differentiate borderline patients, bipolar patients, and controls

Discrete early maladaptive schema subgroups in remitted bipolar disorders: association with neuropsychological performance, residual symptoms, and psychosocial functioning

Objectives

To better understand the disability and heterogeneity in terms of residual symptoms and psychosocial and cognitive functioning in bipolar disorders (BD), individual discrepancies in the activation of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) are relevant to investigate. This study aimed to identify activation profiles of EMS and to investigate the association between identified profiles and disability during euthymia.

Design

This is a cross-sectional study.

Methods

Clinical data, psychosocial functioning, neuropsychological performance and EMS were collected in euthymic outpatients with a BD. Clustering was performed on EMS activation, followed by inter-cluster comparisons on variables above using post-hoc tests. A multivariate regression was used to confirm associations between clusters and variables of interest by controlling for covariates.

Results

Thanks to a person-oriented approach, our results showed three profiles of EMS: "Hypoactivation," "Light activation." and "Major Hyperactivation." Individuals in the light and major hyper activated clusters had worse psychosocial functioning compared to individuals in the hypoactivated cluster. There were no differences in neuropsychological performance between the different profiles of EMS, thus suggesting the independence of these sources of variance in psychosocial functioning of individuals with BD.

Conclusion

This paper highlights the importance of considering individual personality and functioning to better understand the heterogeneity in BD during euthymia. For some people, schema therapy seems particularly relevant due to the overactivation of EMS, and even more so because these people have particularly marked functional impairments and clinical severity.

Optimizing differential diagnostics and identifying transdiagnostic treatment targets using virtual reality

Accurate diagnosis in psychiatry remains a significant challenge, often delaying appropriate treatment and resulting in poorer clinical outcomes. Identifying precise biomarkers for differential diagnosis is therefore crucial. This study aimed to identify distinct behavioral and psychophysiological markers of emotional reactivity in virtual reality (VR) settings among individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), borderline personality disorder (BPD), schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD), and healthy controls (HC). Participants (BD: n = 32, BPD: n = 21, SSD: n = 17, HC: n = 30) aged 19-60 were exposed to six immersive 360-degree social VR scenarios, ranging from neutral to highly emotional contexts (e.g., an elevator ride, a crying baby). Emotional responses were self-rated on a 1-5 scale, while galvanic skin response (GSR) was continuously recorded. Scenarios assessed feelings of unpleasantness, pleasantness, being observed, and the urge to comfort. Across diagnoses, individuals with mental health conditions reported more negative emotional responses (greater unpleasantness) across both neutral and negative scenarios (ps ≤ 0.02) despite similar GSR levels to HC. Specifically, in the elevator scenario, BPD and SSD experienced greater unpleasantness and feelings of being observed, coupled with stronger GSRs compared to BD (ps ≤ 0.03). SSD reported higher unpleasantness in the canteen scenario, less pleasantness in the happy baby scenario, and overall higher GSR than BD (ps ≤ 0.049). Negative emotional reactivity was consistent across BD, BPD, and SSD, with heightened emotional and physiological responses distinguishing SSD and BPD from BD in specific VR contexts. VR-based assessments of emotional and physiological markers show promise for improving differential diagnosis and identifying transdiagnostic treatment targets.

Exploring the role of affective temperaments: predicting major depressive disorder in the context of borderline personality disorder

PURPOSE

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a complex condition believed to arise from a multifaceted interplay of genetic, environmental, and biological factors. In the pursuit of understanding its etiology, two elements that warrant investigation are borderline personality disorder (BPD) and affective temperaments. We aim to gain deeper insights into the mechanisms underlying this debilitating mental health condition.

METHOD

The dataset comprises individuals who sought assistance from psychiatry outpatient clinics for diverse reasons during the period spanning from 2018 to 2022. These individuals underwent SCID-II assessments to diagnose borderline personality disorder (BPD) and also completed the TEMPS-A temperament tests.

RESULTS

The mean years of schooling was lower in the MDD group (p = 0.014). Two groups are compared in terms of affective temperament. Depressive (p < 0.0001), cyclothymic (p < 0.0001), anxious (p = 0.001), and irritable (p < 0.0001) temperament scores were statistically higher in the MDD group. Apart from the scale scores, the prevalence of affective temperament was evaluated and the same temperaments (depressive (p < 0.0001), cyclothymic (p < 0.0001), anxious (p = 0.001), and irritable (p < 0.0001)) were found to be significantly higher in the MDD group. Diagnosis of BPD is higher in the MDD group (p = 0.002). Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the presence of cyclothymic temperament and marital status may be predictor factors for the development of MDD (p < 0.0001, CI: 0.001-0.121 and p = 0.002, CI: 1.550-7.172, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Notably, higher scores in cyclothymic temperament and experiencing loneliness have been identified as significantly associated with MDD. Interestingly, in patients with comorbid BPD-MDD, the presence of cyclothymic temperament appears to be a more critical factor than personality traits. This finding underscores the potential role of cyclothymic temperament in contributing to the co-occurrence of BPD and MDD.

The purpose of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in the relationship dysfunction among people with bipolar disorder in the euthymic phase

OBJECTIVES

Although free from characterized manic and depressive episodes, the euthymic period in bipolar disorder (BD) remains characterized by a whole host of difficulties, particularly relational. These difficulties are factors of vulnerabilities and relapses. People's perception of their own relationships has an impact on their symptomatology, their responses to treatment and on relapse rates. Young's early maladaptive schemas (EMS) approach proves to be relevant for understanding the construction of these perceptions and working on them. Nevertheless, to this date, few studies have investigated which EMS are related to relationship dysfunction in this particular population. Determining the link between EMS and relationship difficulties would be relevant to understand psychosocial impairment of people with BD in euthymic states. The present study aims to investigate the associations between the different domains of EMS and relationship dysfunction among patients with bipolar disorder in the euthymic phase.

METHODS

Data are extracted from the FACE-BD cohort, within the BD Expert Center in Versailles. Inclusion criteria were to be aged between 18 and 65 and to be an outpatient with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder (DSM-IV-TR). Patients had to be euthymic at the time of inclusion, according to DSM-IV-TR criteria with a cut-off score of 14 on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Young Mania Rating Scale. Non-inclusion criteria were meeting at the time of the study the criteria for characteristic depressive episode, hypomania or mania according to the DSM-IV-TR. Sociodemographic data, clinical features associated with relationship dysfunction were assessed. EMS and EMS domains were assessed with the YSQ-R short form (Young Schema Questionnaire 3 Short Form) and current relationship dysfunction were assessed with the FAST (Functioning assessment short test subscale). Successive simple linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between the severity scores of each EMS and the intensity of relationship dysfunction. Furthermore, successive simple linear regression analyses investigated the association between EMS domain scores and intensity of relationship dysfunction. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to test the association between EMS scores, then EMS domains, and the intensity of relationship dysfunction after adjusting for age as well as the intensity of residual depressive and manic symptoms.

RESULTS

Relationship dysfunction is partly associated with EMS activation in particular in the separation and rejection domain (P<0.0001), the other-directedness domain (P=0.031) and the over-vigilance and inhibition domain (P=0.005). Having residual depressive symptoms is also among the factors contributing to the relationship dysfunctions of people with bipolar disorder in the euthymic phase.

DISCUSSION

This is the first study demonstrating that the activation of several domains of EMS is a risk factor of relationships difficulties for people in euthymic phase of bipolar disorder. It is necessary to identify which EMS are specifically activated and their domains of belonging in order to prevent and reduce them. EMS are a lever for functional remission. It is therefore relevant to refer people reporting relationship problems to schema therapy consistent with a personalized care. Finally, future studies should focus on the mechanisms underlying the complex relationship between EMS domains and relationship dysfunction in people with bipolar disorder in the euthymic phase. It may also be relevant for future research to control for different types of relationship dysfunction. EMS may be differentially associated with several types of interpersonal problems. The relations between different adaptation styles and EMS should be further investigated to offer more personalized care, with the aim to improve functional remission.

Temperament, but not childhood trauma, distinguishes borderline personality disorder from bipolar disorder and ADHD

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate if temperament and experience of childhood trauma differed between young psychiatric patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder (BD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

METHODS

Diagnoses were based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Axis I and Axis II. Temperament was assessed by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) and childhood trauma by the Early Trauma Inventory-Self Report-Short Form (ETI-SR-SF). Temperament and childhood trauma were compared between the BPD group (n = 19) and the non-BPD group (BD/ADHD) (n = 95). Interactions between trauma and temperament were evaluated using a logistic regression model with a BPD diagnosis as outcome variable.

RESULTS

Participants in the BPD group showed higher novelty seeking (NS) and harm avoidance (HA). Traumatic experiences in childhood were common but the BPD group differed very little from the others in this regard. The interaction between temperament and trauma had low explanatory power for a BPD diagnosis in this sample.

CONCLUSION

Temperament might be useful to distinguish BPD when symptoms of impulsivity and affective instability are evaluated in psychiatric patients. The results from the interaction analysis support the multifactorial background to BPD.

The Relationship Between Early Maladaptive Schemas and Cluster C Personality Disorder Traits: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the literature on the relationship between early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and Cluster C personality disorders (PDs). Our aim was to clarify which of the 18 EMSs exhibit the strongest associations and are most frequently endorsed in clinical and non-clinical samples with Cluster C PDs and traits.

RECENT FINDINGS

After initially screening 2622 records, 12 studies were selected with 5310 participants. Meta-analyses of the raw correlation coefficients for each EMS-Cluster C PD link (3-8 studies per meta-analysis) indicated that the 18 EMSs were significantly related to all three Cluster C PDs with r's ranging from .13 to .63. However, when considering endorsement rates among multiple regression studies that controlled for the EMSs intercorrelations and the effects of other PD traits and demographics, specific EMS constellations emerged for each Cluster C PD. Overall, the findings of the current paper suggest that Cluster C PDs might be conceptualized on the basis of a hybrid EMS model, in which all EMSs contribute to global personality dysfunction whereas specific EMS patterns reflect unique personality disorder style expressions. Longitudinal research with appropriate methodology is needed to draw more definite conclusions on the EMSs-Cluster C PDs relationships.

Are the schema modes suitable for explaining borderline and narcissistic behaviours?

Jeffrey Young assumes that people suffering from personality disorders differ from healthy ones in schema modes intensity but not diversity. Besides, healthy people also present behaviours typical for personality disorders, but to a lesser extent. However, research lacks the interrelationships between modes, especially in healthy individuals. The presented study aimed to investigate the mutual relations between the schema modes using path analysis to understand better problematic behaviour in borderline and narcissistic types in a non-clinical sample and to verify Young assumption about the continuum of the schema modes. A sample of 467 healthy adults aged 18–50 (M = 32.87, SD = 10.56), 52.9% of whom were women, completed SMI 1.1 and SCID-II. Descriptive statistics, matrix of correlation and structural equation modelling were used. Results confirmed the significance of the theoretically assumed and previously empirically proved schema modes also for healthy people. The most important modes for both borderline and narcissistic behaviours are the Punitive Parent, the Angry Child and the Enraged Child modes. For borderline behaviour, the Detached Protector coping mode, connected to a sense of emptiness, is significant. Narcissistic behaviour relates to Bully and Attack, and Self-Aggrandiser modes and is connected to aggressive and dominant behaviour. The obtained models explain 47% of the variance in borderline and 44% in narcissistic behaviours. The study indicates the validity of analysing the modes among people with lower intensity of behaviours typical for personality disorders and also confirms Young’s assumptions about the universality of schema modes. Results are discussed in the context of their relevance for practitioners.

Investigation of the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, temperament and eating attitude in adults

BACKGROUND

Current research on eating attitude has focused primarily on female perspective (Kapoor et al. in J Educ Health Promot 11(80):1-7, 2022; Piko et al. in J Prev Med Hyg. 63(1):83-89, 2022). To extend cross-gender approaches, this study aimed to examine the relationship between early maladaptive schemas, temperament, and eating attitude and to see whether these three concepts differ between men and women.

METHODS

The sample group consists of a total of 308 participants, 206 (66.9%) women and 102 (33.1%) men, living in Bursa and participating in the research voluntarily. In the study, Sociodemographic Data Form was used to obtain personal information of the participants, Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form 3 was used to evaluate early maladaptive schemas, Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San-Diego Autoquestionnaire was used to evaluate temperament characteristics and Eating Attitude Test was used to evaluate eating attitudes.

RESULTS

As a result of the study, a moderate and positive relationship was found between the Defectiveness, Emotional Inhibition, Enmeshment/Dependence, Failure, Abandonment, Vulnerability to Harm or Illness, Negativity/Pessimism schemas and eating attitude. Among these schemas, Defectiveness was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude. A weak and positive relationship was found between the scores obtained from the Eating Attitude Test and Cyclothymic and Irritable temperaments, and a moderate positive relationship with Anxious temperament. Among these temperaments, Anxious temperament was found to be the best predictor of deterioration in eating attitude.

CONCLUSIONS

When the results were examined, a relationship was observed between early maladaptive schemas and temperament types, and this relationship was examined in detail. The results obtained at the end of the study were discussed and suggestions were made for future studies.

Early Maladaptive Schemas and Mental Disorders in Adulthood: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are broad and pervasive themes regarding oneself and one’s relationships with others originating from adverse childhood experiences. Although the concept of EMSs was initially developed for the treatment of personality disorders, the associations of EMSs with a variety of other mental disorders have been investigated. The goal of the present study was to summarize and analyze the EMSs-disorder associations in studies in which patients with specific psychiatric diagnoses were compared to healthy controls. Of the 28 studies that met the inclusion criteria, 27 were included in a meta-analysis. Across diagnoses, all EMSs were elevated in the clinical groups. The largest effect sizes were observed for the social isolation, the negativity/pessimism, the defectiveness/shame, and social undesirability schemas. Depression (n = 8), borderline personality disorder (n = 5), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (n = 5) were the most frequently studied mental disorders. Heterogeneity between studies was high. Results suggest that mental disorders are not characterized by specific EMSs.

Understanding the development of bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder in young people: a meta-review of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

There is ongoing debate on the nosological position of bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Identifying the unique and shared risks, developmental pathways, and symptoms in emerging BD and BPD could help the field refine aetiological hypotheses and improve the prediction of the onset of these disorders. This study aimed to: (a) systematically synthesise the available evidence from systematic reviews (SRs) and meta-analyses (MAs) concerning environmental, psychosocial, biological, and clinical factors leading to the emergence of BD and BPD; (b) identify the main differences and common features between the two disorders to characterise their complex interplay and, (c) highlight remaining evidence gaps.

METHODS

Data sources were; PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, Medline, ISI Web of Science. Overlap of included SRs/MAs was assessed using the corrected covered area process. The methodological quality of each included SR and MA was assessed using the AMSTAR.

RESULTS

22 SRs and MAs involving 249 prospective studies met eligibility criteria. Results demonstrated that family history of psychopathology, affective instability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, sleep disturbances, substance abuse, psychotic symptoms, suicidality, childhood adversity and temperament were common predisposing factors across both disorders. There are also distinct factors specific to emerging BD or BPD.

CONCLUSIONS

Prospective studies are required to increase our understanding of the development of BD and BPD onset and their complex interplay by concurrently examining multiple measures in BD and BPD at-risk populations.

Patients with borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder: a descriptive and comparative study

BACKGROUND

Bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) are each significant public health problems. It has been frequently noted that distinguishing BPD from bipolar disorder is challenging. Consequently, reviews and commentaries have focused on differential diagnosis and identifying clinical features to distinguish the two disorders. While there is a burgeoning literature comparing patients with BPD and bipolar disorder, much less research has characterized patients with both disorders. In the current report from the Rhode Island Methods to Improve Diagnostic Assessment and Services (MIDAS) project, we compare psychiatric outpatients with both BPD and bipolar disorder to patients with BPD without bipolar disorder and patients with bipolar disorder without BPD.

METHODS

Psychiatric outpatients presenting for treatment were evaluated with semi-structured interviews. The focus of the current study is the 517 patients with both BPD and bipolar disorder (n = 59), BPD without bipolar disorder (n = 330), and bipolar disorder without BPD (n = 128).

RESULTS

Compared to patients with bipolar disorder, the patients with bipolar disorder and BPD had more comorbid disorders, psychopathology in their first-degree relatives, childhood trauma, suicidality, hospitalizations, time unemployed, and likelihood of receiving disability payments. The added presence of bipolar disorder in patients with BPD was associated with more posttraumatic stress disorder in the patients as well as their family, more bipolar disorder and substance use disorders in their relatives, more childhood trauma, unemployment, disability, suicide attempts, and hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with both bipolar disorder and BPD have more severe psychosocial morbidity than patients with only one of these disorders.

A narrative review of cross-sectional and prospective associations between self-schemas and bipolar disorder

The role of self-concept in bipolar disorder (BD) has not been well understood. The present review utilizes the notion of self-schema and interrogates existing research concerning evidence for cross-sectional and prospective associations between four schema-like constructs (i.e. trait self-esteem, dysfunctional beliefs concerning contingent self-worth, early maladaptive schemas and implicit self-esteem) and various facets of BD. Existing findings demonstrate various types of involvement of self-schemas in BD. Of particular clinical relevance, the present review suggests that low trait self-esteem and dysfunctional beliefs concerning contingent self-worth are risk factors for ongoing BD symptoms and mood episodes. The present review also yields important yet unaddressed questions with respect to the evaluative content of self-schemas associated with the hypo/manic phase of BD.

Clinical Features, Neuropsychology and Neuroimaging in Bipolar and Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review of Cross-Diagnostic Studies

Background: Bipolar Disorder (BD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have clinically been evolving as separate disorders, though there is still debate on the nosological valence of both conditions, their interaction in terms of co-morbidity or disorder spectrum and their distinct pathophysiology. Objective: The objective of this review is to summarize evidence regarding clinical features, neuropsychological performance and neuroimaging findings from cross-diagnostic studies comparing BD and BPD, to further caracterize their complex interplay. Methods: Using PubMed, PsycINFO and TripDataBase, we conducted a systematic literature search based on PRISMA guidelines of studies published from January 1980 to September 2019 which directly compared BD and BPD. Results: A total of 28 studies comparing BD and BPD were included: 19 compared clinical features, 6 neuropsychological performance and three neuroimaging abnormalities. Depressive symptoms have an earlier onset in BPD than BD. BD patients present more mixed or manic symptoms, with BD-I differing from BPD in manic phases. BPD patients show more negative attitudes toward others and self, more conflictive interpersonal relationships, and more maladaptive regulation strategies in affective instability with separate pathways. Impulsivity seems more a trait in BPD rather than a state as in BD. Otherwise, BD and BPD overlap in depressive and anxious symptoms, dysphoria, various abnormal temperamental traits, suicidal ideation, and childhood trauma. Both disorders differ and share deficits in neuropsychological and neuroimaging findings. Conclusion: Clinical data provide evidence of overlapping features in both disorders, with most of those shared symptoms being more persistent and intense in BPD. Thus, categorical classifications should be compared to dimensional approaches in transdiagnostic studies investigating BPD features in BD regarding their respective explanatory power for individual trajectories. Systematic Review Registration: The search strategy was pre-registered in PROSPERO: CRD42018100268.

Determinants of the remission heterogeneity in bipolar disorders: The importance of early maladaptive schemas (EMS)

BACKGROUND

A crucial health issue is to understand the remission heterogeneity of Bipolar Disorders by considering symptomatology as well as functioning. A new perspective could be elements of the construction of individual identity. This exploratory study aimed to explore the remission heterogeneity of patients with BD in terms of Early Maladaptive Schemas (EMS) by preferring a person-oriented approach.

METHODS

This study included euthymic patients recruited into the FACE-BD cohort. The remission was assessed by the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale and the Young Mania Rating Scale for its symptomatic dimension and by the Functioning Assessment Short Test for its functional dimension. The activation of the eighteen EMS was assessed by the Young Schema Questionnaire 3 Short Form. Clustering was performed to identify profiles according to the patients' remission. Clusters identified were compared on the EMS activation by using analysis of variance and post-hoc tests.

RESULTS

Among the 100 euthymic patients included, four profiles of remission were identified: cluster 1 "Global Remission" (34%), cluster 2 "Hypomanic residual" (20%), cluster 3 "Depressive residual and functional impairment" (36%) and cluster 4 "Global handicap" (10%). Two out of three EMS discriminated against these profiles. The activation of specific EMS clarifies the singularity of each remission profile.

LIMITATIONS

For the symptomatic dimension, cut-offs chosen could be discussed as well as the scale assessing residual depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This study participates in a comprehensive model of remission by integrating the symptomatology, the functioning, and the EMS. Identifying and treating EMS may improve patients remission to reach recovery.

Early maladaptive schemas and their relation to personality disorders: A correlational examination in a clinical population

Personality disorder (PD) pathology has been linked to early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). Because of a large heterogeneity in study populations, sample size, statistical analyses and conceptualizations in the literature, the exact relationships between PDs and EMSs are still unclear. The current study examined the relationship between borderline, dependent, avoidant and obsessive–compulsive PDs, represented dimensionally as number of traits, and 15 different EMSs as measured by the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ). A total of N = 130 inpatients took part in the study (M^age = 43.6, gender = 51.5% female). Stepwise regressions indicated that borderline, dependent, avoidant and obsessive–compulsive PD traits were partly characterized by specific EMSs and EMSs grouped as domains (i.e., other‐directedness domain for dependent PD and overvigilance for obsessive–compulsive PD) and that relations with a variety of domains and EMSs were overlapping for the PD dimensions (i.e., disconnection and rejection for both borderline and avoidant PDs). This suggests that PDs are reflected by a hybrid model of EMSs, with some EMSs and domains that relate to a broader vulnerability factor for PDs, and other domains that differentially relate to the independent PDs. Findings are informative for clinicians, as various EMSs per PD may be targeted in therapy.

Analysis of association between temperament and psychological symptoms using the Affective and Emotional Composite Temperament (AFECT) model: An internet-based survey

BACKGROUND

Temperamental characteristics have been suggested as potential vulnerability markers or could help differential diagnosis among psychiatric disorders. The current study aimed to explore whether there are specific temperament profiles related to different psychological symptoms, according to the Affective and Emotional Composite Temperament (AFECT) model.

METHODS

We used a cross-sectional web-based survey collected from the Brazilian Internet Study on Temperament and Psychopathology (BRAINSTEP). The sample consisted of 16,495 self-selected volunteers assessed with the Affective and Emotional Composite Temperament Scale (AFECTS), Adult Self-Report Inventory (ASRI), and Adult Self-Report Scale (ASRS).

RESULTS

All unstable affective temperaments (cyclothymic, dysphoric, and volatile) correlated, in different intensities, with all psychiatric symptoms assessed. Cyclothymic temperament was mainly related to borderline personality symptoms. Dysphoric and volatile temperament showed an association with attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms. Melancholic temperament was associated with major depressive symptoms, and euphoric temperament showed a positive correlation with maniac symptoms. Euthymic and hyperthymic temperaments were negatively correlated with all psychiatric symptoms. In addition, the assessment of the emotional traits of temperament showed that high volition, low anger, low sensitivity, and high control are characteristics that are not related to psychopathology.

LIMITATIONS

This study had a cross-sectional design, which does not allow an exact inference of cause and consequence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that temperament assessment using AFECT model may be relevant to assess the risk of developing psychological symptoms over the time. These results strengthen the theoretical framework that psychiatric disorders may be manifestations of the extremes of affective temperaments.

Differentiating borderline personality disorder (BPD) from bipolar disorder: diagnostic efficiency of DSM BPD criteria

OBJECTIVE

We sought to determine the differential diagnostic efficiency of all DSM-IV borderline personality disorder (BPD) criteria by studying a sample of those with BPD and a contrast group with a bipolar disorder (BP).

METHOD

Participants were clinically assessed and assigned diagnoses based on DSM criteria - with prevalence rates and diagnostic efficiency values calculated.

RESULTS

Fifty-three participants were assigned a BPD diagnosis, 83 a BP diagnosis, with comorbid participants excluded. The mean number of DSM BPD criteria assigned was 6.6 (SD = 1.0) in the BPD group and 1.9 (SD = 1.3) in the BP group. The most prevalent criterion in the BPD group was 'affective instability' (AI) (92.5%), with 'inappropriate anger' least endorsed (49%). The highest specificity criterion was 'abandonment fears', which displayed the greatest positive predictive value (PPV) = 0.9, and with AI offering the lowest specificity. 'Unstable relationships' had the highest overall negative predictive value (NPV) = 0.91. The highest percentage accuracy of classification was provided by 'identity disturbance' and 'abandonment fears' criteria, both 85%.

CONCLUSION

The transdiagnostic nature of 'affective instability' means it is less useful for diagnostic decisions, whereas 'abandonment fears' and 'identity disturbance' offer superior diagnostic efficiency in distinguishing BPD from BP.

[Exploring Early Maladaptative Schema (EMS) in adults with bipolar disorder: A systematic review of the scientific literature]

OBJECTIVES

Clinical heterogeneity during euthymic states is a crucial issue in bipolar disorders. Indeed, actual data are not sufficient to understand why some patients are unharmed by subthreshold symptoms and have functional impairments whereas others have a functional remission but have subthreshold symptoms. Based on the Ball model, cognitive and schematic vulnerability interact with genetic vulnerability and trigger affective symptoms with the intervention of stressful life events. Furthermore, according to this model, adjustment and adaptation to illness assessed by functional outcome and illness experience are associated with this cognitive and schematic vulnerability. So, theoretical arguments support that childhood adversity and temperamental deregulation characterize patients with bipolar disorders. Thus, the aim of this study is to systematically review studies of Early Maladaptive Schemas in bipolar disorder, to determine whether Early Maladaptive Schemas have specificity in bipolar disorder in comparison with other populations, and to identify which Early Maladaptive Schemas could be activated. The challenge of this review is to identify if the taking of early maladaptive schemas into account could allow us to better identify, understand and manage bipolar disorders.

METHODS

This systematic review was led according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis statement on the electronic databases Cochrane, PsycArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, PsycInfo, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus with « early maladaptive schemas » AND « bipolar disorder » as keywords. Only studies meeting eligibility criteria concerning publication status, language, population and outcomes were included after several screenings on basis of title, abstract and full-text. Then, we carried out data extraction in accordance with criteria defined in principle (about characteristics of participants, objectives, materiel and methods, principle results and bias).

RESULTS

Among 39 records identified, a total of 10 studies met eligibility criteria for inclusion in this review. Synthesizing findings across the studies revealed three important topics. First, early maladaptive schemas appear as potential cognitive characteristics that clinicians have to investigate in clinical practice. Indeed, patients with bipolar disorders present greater activation of the early maladaptive schemas in comparison with people who have no disorder. This point supports the first part of Ball's theoretical model that considers schemas as a vulnerability to bipolarity. Secondly, early maladaptive schemas are relevant to distinguish bipolar disorders from unipolar depression and borderline personality disorder. A greater and a lower activation are respectively identified among bipolar disorders. Thirdly, supporting the second part of Ball's model, early maladaptive schemas play a key role in recovery regarding their impact on the course of bipolarity, in particular on suicidality and functional impairment. Finally, these dysfunctional schemas allow us to understand the clinical heterogeneity of bipolar disorder, and among others, about the type of bipolarity. These results have several implications, but there are some limits in this systematic review. First, no French study has been done. Then, reduced sample sizes in these studies increased the risk to conclude wrongly to an activation difference between groups. Furthermore, probably due to the variety of methods and populations, we could not identify an homogeneous pattern of early activated maladaptive schemas. Overall, scientific approaches used in these studies are based on statistical models using mean and standard deviation. These types of statistical analyses are the main limit because they cannot represent the heterogeneity of early maladaptive schemas profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Schema theory proves to be a relevant approach in bipolar disorders, and early maladaptive schemas appear to be important to take into account in clinical practice. Nevertheless, in order to propose schemas therapy appropriately, it is necessary to specify if early maladaptive schemas are activated and to specify therapeutic indications because of clinical heterogeneity. Moreover, data do not yet allow us to understand the disparity of profiles during the inter-episode period. Indeed, a French research perspective is being considered that will prefer a person-oriented approach.

Early maladaptive schemas and borderline personality disorder features in a nonclinical sample: A network analysis

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a challenging problem. Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are considered as important vulnerability factors for the development and maintenance of BPD. Literature suggests a complex relationship between BPD and EMSs. The current study employed network analysis to model the complex associations between central BPD features (i.e., affective instability, identity problems, negative relations, and self-harm) and EMSs in 706 undergraduate students. The severity of BPD symptoms was assessed using the Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline subscale; the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form was used to assess EMSs. Results suggest that specific EMSs show unique associations with different BPD features. Interestingly, affective instability showed no unique associations with EMSs. Identity problems were uniquely associated with abandonment, insufficient self-control, dependence/incompetence, and vulnerability to harm/illness schemas. Negative relations in BPD showed unique connections with mistrust/abuse and abandonment. Finally, BPD self-harm was connected to emotional deprivation and failure. These findings indicate potential pathways between EMSs and specific BPD features that could improve our understanding of BPD theoretically and clinically.

Schema therapy conceptualization of personality functioning and traits in ICD-11 and DSM-5

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Schema therapy conceptualizes personality disorders in terms of modes and underlying schemas. This article reviews the literature on schema therapy conceptualization of personality disorder functioning and traits, and proposes how these findings apply to novel personality disorder classification in ICD-11 and the DSM-5 Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Maladaptive schemas and modes are generally associated with personality dysfunction and traits in conceptually coherent ways. The healthy adult mode, a transdiagnostic core concept in schema therapy, corresponds to the ICD-11 and DSM-5-AMPD features of core personality functioning. Modes and underlying schemas substantially overlap with specific ICD-11 and DSM-5-AMPD traits, which denote individual themes and styles of personality dysfunction.

SUMMARY

The dimensional personality disorder framework in ICD-11 and DSM-5-AMPD is largely compatible with the schema therapy model. The ICD-11 and DSM-5-AMPD provide a scientifically derived and theory-free framework for all practitioners, which may be connected to clinical theory of schema therapy in a coherent manner. Level of personality functioning can be conceptualized as healthy adult functioning (e.g. sense of identity, self-worth, emotion regulation, intimacy, and fulfillment), which inform intensity of treatment. Trait qualifiers can be conceptualized by associated modes (e.g., compliant surrender) and underlying schemas (e.g. abandonment), which inform focus and style of treatment.

Early maladaptive schemas and suicidal risk in inpatients with bipolar disorder

The present study aimed to assess the associations of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) and clinical factors (hypomanic/manic and depressive symptoms) with suicidal risk (current suicidal ideation and lifetime suicide attempts) in inpatients with bipolar disorder (BD). One hundred inpatients with BD completed the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (YSQ-SF), the Bipolar Depression Rating Scale (BDRS), the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS), and the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSSI). 59% of patients had lifetime suicide attempts and 59% showed high suicidal risk (BSSI ≥ 6). BD patients with lifetime suicide attempts had higher scores on the entitlement and social isolation schemas, depression, and hypomanic/manic symptoms than those without such attempts. Patients with high suicidal risk had higher levels of depressive and hypomanic/manic symptoms as well as some EMSs than those without high suicidal risk. Logistic regression analyses revealed that hypomanic/manic symptoms as well as the entitlement and defectiveness schemas were significantly associated with current suicidal ideation. Also, the entitlement and social isolation schemas were associated with lifetime suicide attempts. These results suggest that the entitlement, social isolation, and defectiveness schemas may relate to suicidal risk in patients with BD.

Comparison of early maladaptive schemas between borderline personality disorder and chronic depression

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and chronic depression (CD) are common and challenging mental disorders. Maladaptive cognitive schemas have been proposed to increase vulnerability to both disorders. In order to elucidate the role of maladaptive cognitive schemas in BPD and CD, this study compared psychiatric outpatients with BPD (N = 30) and CD (N = 30) in terms of early maladaptive schemas (EMSs). The groups were compared using the Young Schema Questionnaire short form-extended (YSQ-S2-extended) and the 15D health status questionnaire. BPD patients showed higher endorsement on the majority of EMSs, poorer social functioning, and greater concurrent distress than CD patients. However, after controlling for concurrent effects of psychological distress, the groups did not differ in 14 out of the 18 EMSs. These findings point to significant similarities in maladaptive beliefs between the 2 disorders and do not support broad, specific patterns of EMSs associated with either disorder. The results highlight the need for further study of the role of maladaptive schemas in the development and treatment of chronic mental disorders.

Temperament in Adulthood Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder without Bipolar Disorder

OBJECTIVE

We examined whether some temperamental traits would be associated with persistence of attention deficit-hyperacitivty disorder (ADHD) in adulthood independent from bipolar disorder (BD).

METHODS

Eighty-one ADHD patients without a comorbid diagnosis of BD were divided into two groups, those with childhood ADHD (n=46), and those with Adulthood ADHD (n=35). The severity of childhood and adulthood ADHD were assessed by using the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS-25) and Turgay's Adult ADD/ADHD Diagnosis and Evaluation Scale (DES). Subjects' temperamental characteristics were examined using the Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego-auto questionnaire (TEMPS-A).

RESULTS

The mean scores of WURS-25 were higher in adult ADHD group than in childhood ADHD group (p<0.001). Adult ADHD group had significantly higher scores on cyclothymic (p=0.002), irritable (p<0.0001), and anxious (p=0.042) subscales of TEMPS-A. The scores of WURS-25 in adulthood ADHD group were positively correlated with cyclothymia scores (r=0.366, p=0.033). Total scores of Turgay's Adult ADD/ADHD DES were positively correlated with cyclothymic (r=0.354, p=0.040), hyperthymic (r=0.380, p=0.026), and irritable (r=0.380, p=0.026) subscale scores. Cychlothymic and irritable temperaments were significantly associated with the severity of adulthood symptoms of ADHD.

CONCLUSION

We might suggest that cyclothymic and irritable temperaments would predict the diagnosis of adulthood ADHD independent from BD.

The Young Schema Questionnaire 3 Short Form (YSQ-S3)

Abstract. Early Maladaptive Schemas, as measured with the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ), are proposed to underlie a variety of mental health problems, in particular Personality Disorders. The latest short version of the instrument measuring all 18 schemas, the YSQ-S3, has only been examined to a limited extent, and its associations with Personality Disorders have not yet been tested in a psychiatric setting. We investigated psychometric properties of the Danish YSQ-S3 including its associations with Personality Disorders. A mixed Danish sample of clinical and nonclinical participants (N = 567) completed the YSQ-S3, whereas a clinical subsample (n = 142) was also assessed with a diagnostic interview for Personality Disorders. We performed reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, and tested for group differences using analysis of variance. The Danish YSQ-S3 proved to be a reliable and valid measure. Its theoretical factorial structure was weakly but sufficiently supported. Its scales were meaningfully associated with specific Personality Disorders and discriminated between relevant groups. We conclude that the YSQ-S3 is a psychometrically valuable instrument for the assessment of Early Maladaptive Schemas in both clinical and research settings. Findings are discussed in relation to Personality Disorders and the Schema Therapy model.

Positive schemas, psychopathology, and quality of life in children with pediatric cancer: A pilot study

PURPOSE

Research in the area of pediatric oncology has shown that although some children and youth diagnosed with this disease cope adaptively after their diagnosis, others continue to have long-term psychosocial difficulties. The potential mechanisms that may protect against the experience of psychopathology and poor quality of life within this population are not well known. The purpose of this pilot study was to utilize a new comprehensive measure of positive schemas to better understand the relationship between positive schemas, quality of life, and psychopathology, for children on active treatment for cancer.

METHODS

Participants were 22 patients, aged 8-18 years, being treated in a pediatric oncology clinic. Patients and parents completed measures of positive schemas, quality of life, and psychopathology.

RESULTS

The mean age at time of initial diagnosis of the patient sample was 11.6 years. Child-reported positive schemas were significantly related to child-reported child quality of life (r = 0.46, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to examine positive schemas within a pediatric oncology sample. Future research is needed to further explore facets of positive schemas that may be particularly relevant to child psychological functioning in a pediatric oncology population.

Comorbidity between bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder: Prevalence, explanatory theories, and clinical impact

BACKGROUND

The relationship between bipolar disorder (BD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been controversial and widely debated. Specifically, the comorbidity between both disorders has yielded a plethora of research, but there are no comprehensive reviews on this issue.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the empirical evidence regarding the comorbidity between BD and BPD based on prevalence data, explanatory theories for their co-occurrence, and clinical impact of one disorder in the other.

METHOD

A comprehensive search of databases (PubMed and PsycINFO) was performed. Published manuscripts between January 1985 and August 2015 were identified. Overall, 70 studies fulfilled inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Over a fifth of subjects showed comorbidity between BPD and BD. Empirical evidence from common underlying factors was inconclusive, but BPD appears to be a risk factor for BD. Data also indicated that the negative impact of BPD in BD (e.g., suicidality, worse mood course) was greater than vice verse.

CONCLUSIONS

Given the high prevalence of comorbidity between BD and BPD and the negative effects of BPD in subjects with BD, further studies are needed to clarify the factor associated with the comorbidity between these two disorders. This information is important to develop appropriate treatments for subjects with both disorders, improve their clinical course, and prevent the increased risk of suicidality commonly found in these subjects.

Maladaptive interpersonal schemas as sensitive and specific markers of borderline personality disorder among psychiatric inpatients

Diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and mood and psychotic disorders characterized by major mood episodes (i.e., major depressive, bipolar and schizoaffective disorder) share marked overlap in symptom presentation, complicating differential diagnosis. The current study tests the hypothesis that maladaptive interpersonal schemas (MIS) are characteristic of BPD, but not of the major mood disorders. One hundred psychiatric inpatients were assessed by SCID I, SCID II and the Young Schema Questionnaire (YSQ-S2). Logistic regression analyses tested the association between MIS (measured by the YSQ-S2) and BPD, bipolar, major depressive and schizoaffective disorder. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses assessed the sensitivity and specificity of MIS as a marker of BPD. After covariation for comorbidity with each of the 3 mood disorders, BPD was robustly associated with 4 out of 5 schema domains. In contrast, only one of fifteen regression analyses demonstrated a significant association between any mood disorder and schema domain after covariation for comorbid BPD. ROC analyses of the 5 schema domains suggested Disconnection/Rejection had the greatest power for identification of BPD cases. These data support the specific role of maladaptive interpersonal schemas in BPD and potentially contribute to greater conceptual clarity about the distinction between BPD and the major mood disorders.

A comparative meta-analysis of TEMPS scores across mood disorder patients, their first-degree relatives, healthy controls, and other psychiatric disorders

BACKGROUND

The Temperament Evaluation Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire (TEMPS) is validated to assess temperament in clinical and non-clinical samples. Scores vary across bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), borderline personality disorder (BPD) and healthy controls (HCs), but a meta-analysis is missing.

METHODS

Meta-analysis of studies comparing TEMPS scores in patients with mood disorders or their first-degree relatives to each other, or to a psychiatric control group or HCs.

RESULTS

Twenty-six studies were meta-analyzed with patients with BD (n= 2025), MDD (n=1283), ADHD (n=56) and BPD (n=43), relatives of BD (n=436), and HCs (n=1757). Cyclothymic (p<0.001) and irritable TEMPS scores (p<0.001) were higher in BD than MDD (studies=12), and in MDD vs HCs (studies=8). Cyclothymic (p<0.001), irritable (p<0.001) and anxious (p=0.03) scores were higher in BD than their relatives, who, had higher scores than HCs. No significant differences emerged between ADHD and BD (studies=3);

CONCLUSION

Affective temperaments are on a continuum, with increasing scores ranging from HCs through MDD to BD regarding cyclothymic and irritable temperament, from MDD through BD to HC regarding hyperthymic temperament, and from HC through BD relatives to BD regarding cyclothymic, irritable and anxious temperament. Depressive and anxious temperaments did not differ between BD and MDD, being nonetheless the lowest in HCs. BD did not differ from ADHD in any investigated TEMPS domain.

LIMITATIONS

Different TEMPS versions, few studies comparing BD with ADHD or BPD, no correlation with other questionnaires.

Borderline personality disorder in transition age youth with bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE

To determine the longitudinal impact of borderline personality disorder (BPD) on the course and outcome of bipolar disorder (BP) in a pediatric BP sample.

METHOD

Participants (N = 271) and parents from the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) study were administered structured clinical interviews and self-reports on average every 8.7 months over a mean of 93 months starting at age 13.0 ± 3.1 years. The structured interview for DSM-IV personality disorders (SIDP-IV) was administered at the first follow-up after age 18 to assess for symptoms of BPD. BPD operationalized at the disorder, factor, and symptom level, was examined as a predictor of poor clinical course of BP using all years of follow-up data.

RESULTS

The number of BPD symptoms was significantly associated with poor clinical course of BP, above and beyond BP characteristics. Affective dysregulation was most strongly associated with poor course at the factor level; the individual symptoms most strongly associated with poor course were dissociation/stress-related paranoid ideation, impulsivity, and affective instability.

CONCLUSION

BPD severity adds significantly to the burden of BP illness and is significantly associated with a more chronic and severe course and outcome beyond what can be attributable to BP characteristics.

Low self-compassion in patients with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Emerging research suggests that low self-compassion may be linked to psychopathology and in particular depressive symptoms. To further elucidate this topic, the present study investigated self-compassion in patients with Bipolar Disorder (BD).

METHOD

Thirty remitted BD patients were compared to thirty age- and sex matched controls on the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). The BD patients also completed the Altman Self-Rating Mania Scale (ASRM), the Major Depression Inventory (MDI), the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) and the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale (ISMI-10) and further reported their illness history on a survey sheet.

RESULTS

The BD patients were found to have significantly lower self-compassion than controls. In addition, self-compassion correlated positively and significantly with life-satisfaction but no significant correlations with functional impairment, internalized stigma or frequency of past affective episodes were found.

LIMITATIONS

The small sample size entailed reduced statistical power.

CONCLUSIONS

By suggesting that self-compassion is reduced and possibly linked to life-satisfaction in BD, the findings highlight a potential vulnerability meriting further investigations.

The borderline of bipolar: opinions of patients and lessons for clinicians on the diagnostic conflict

Aims and method It has been observed that some individuals self-diagnose with a bipolar affective disorder and many are later diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. There is a background context of clinical and neurobiological overlap between these conditions, and fundamental debates on the validity of current diagnostic systems. This qualitative study is the first work to explore the views of patients caught at this diagnostic interface. We predicted that media exposure, stigma and attribution of responsibility would be key factors affecting patient understanding and opinion. Results Six core illness-differentiating themes emerged: public information, diagnosis delivery, illness causes, illness management, stigma, and relationship with others. Individuals did not 'want' to be diagnosed with a bipolar disorder, but wished for informed care. Clinical implications Understanding patient perspectives will allow clinical staff to better appreciate the difficulties faced by those we seek to help, identify gaps in care provision, and should stimulate thought on our attitudes to care and how we facilitate provision of information, including information about diagnosis.

Significance of borderline personality-spectrum symptoms among adolescents with bipolar disorder

BACKGROUND

Little is known regarding correlates of borderline personality-spectrum symptoms (BPSS) among adolescents with bipolar disorder (BP).

METHODS

Participants were 90 adolescents, 13-19 years of age, who fulfilled DSM-IV-TR criteria for BP using semi-structured diagnostic interviews. BPSS status was ascertained using the Life Problems Inventory which assessed identity confusion, interpersonal problems, impulsivity, and emotional lability. Analyses compared adolescents with "high" versus "low" BPSS based on a median split.

RESULTS

Participants with high, relative to low, BPSS were younger, and had greater current and past depressive episode severity, greater current hypo/manic episode severity, younger age of depression onset, and reduced global functioning. High BPSS participants were more likely to have BP-II, and had higher rates of social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, homicidal ideation, assault of others, non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and physical abuse. Despite greater illness burden, high BPSS participants reported lower rates of lithium use. The most robust independent predictors of high BPSS, identified in multivariate analyses, included lifetime social phobia, non-suicidal self-injury, reduced global functioning, and conduct and/or oppositional defiant disorder.

LIMITATIONS

The study design is cross-sectional and cannot determine causality.

CONCLUSIONS

High BPSS were associated with greater mood symptom burden and functional impairment. Presence of high BPSS among BP adolescents may suggest the need to modify clinical monitoring and treatment practices. Future prospective studies are needed to examine the direction of observed associations, the effect of treatment on BPSS, and the effect of BPSS as a moderator or predictor of treatment response.

Temperamental differences between bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: some implications for their diagnostic validity

BACKGROUND

The relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD), bipolar disorder (BD), and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) requires further elucidation.

METHODS

Seventy-four adult psychiatric in- and out-patients, each of them having received one of these diagnoses on clinical assessment, were interviewed and compared in terms of diagnostic overlap, age and sex distribution, comorbid substance, anxiety and eating disorders, and affective temperament.

RESULTS

Diagnostic overlap within the three disorders was 54%. Comorbidity patterns and gender ratio did not differ. The disorders showed very similar levels of cyclothymia.

LIMITATIONS

Sample size was small and only a limited number of validators were tested.

CONCLUSIONS

The similar extent of cyclothymic temperament suggests mood lability as a common denominator of BPD, BD, and ADHD.

The relationship between borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder

It is clinically important to recognize both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) in patients seeking treatment for depression, and it is important to distinguish between the two. Research considering whether BPD should be considered part of a bipolar spectrum reaches differing conclusions. We reviewed the most studied question on the relationship between BPD and bipolar disorder: their diagnostic concordance. Across studies, approximately 10% of patients with BPD had bipolar I disorder and another 10% had bipolar II disorder. Likewise, approximately 20% of bipolar II patients were diagnosed with BPD, though only 10% of bipolar I patients were diagnosed with BPD. While the comorbidity rates are substantial, each disorder is nontheless diagnosed in the absence of the other in the vast majority of cases (80% to 90%). In studies examining personality disorders broadly, other personality disorders were more commonly diagnosed in bipolar patients than was BPD. Likewise, the converse is also true: other axis I disorders such as major depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder are also more commonly diagnosed in patients with BPD than is bipolar disorder. These findings challenge the notion that BPD is part of the bipolar spectrum.

Clinical differentiation of bipolar II disorder from borderline personality disorder

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Differentiating bipolar II disorder (BP II) from borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a common diagnostic dilemma. The purpose of this review is to focus on recent studies that have considered clinical differences between the conditions including family history, phenomenology, longitudinal course, comorbidity and treatment response, and which might advance their clinical distinction.

RECENT FINDINGS

Findings suggest key differentiating parameters to include family history, onset pattern, clinical course, phenomenological profile of depressive and elevated mood states, and symptoms of emotional dysregulation. Less specific differentiation is provided by childhood trauma history, deliberate self-harm, comorbidity rates, neurocognitive features, treatment response and impulsivity parameters.

SUMMARY

This review refines candidate variables for differentiating BP II from BPD, and should assist the design of studies seeking to advance their phenomenological and clinical distinction.

Problematic boundaries in the diagnosis of bipolar disorder: the interface with borderline personality disorder

It is clinically important to recognize both bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder (BPD) in patients seeking treatment for depression, and it is important to distinguish between the two. The most studied question on the relationship between BPD and bipolar disorder is their diagnostic concordance. Across studies approximately 10 % of patients with BPD had bipolar I disorder and another 10 % had bipolar II disorder. Likewise, approximately 20 % of bipolar II patients were diagnosed with BPD, though only 10 % of bipolar I patients were diagnosed with BPD. While the comorbidity rates are substantial, each disorder is, nonetheless, diagnosed in the absence of the other in the vast majority of cases (80-90 %). In studies examining personality disorders broadly, other personality disorders were more commonly diagnosed in bipolar patients than was BPD. Likewise, the converse is also true: other axis I disorders such as major depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder are more commonly diagnosed in patients with BPD than is bipolar disorder. Studies comparing patients with BPD and bipolar disorder find significant differences on a range of variables. These findings challenge the notion that BPD is part of the bipolar spectrum. While a substantial literature has documented problems with the under-recognition and under-diagnosis of bipolar disorder, more recent studies have found evidence of bipolar disorder over-diagnosis and that BPD is a significant contributor to over-diagnosis. Re-conceptualizing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder as a type of test, rather than the final word on diagnosis, shifts the diagnostician from thinking solely whether a patient does or does not have a disorder to considering the risks of false-positive and false-negative diagnoses, and the ease by which each type of diagnostic error can be corrected by longitudinal observation.

Modeling bipolar disorder suicidality

OBJECTIVES

To review the psychosocial, neuropsychological, and neurobiological evidence regarding suicide and bipolar disorder (BD), to enable the development of an integrated model that facilitates understanding, and to provide a useful framework for future research.

METHODS

A two-stage literature review was conducted. First, an electronic literature search was performed using key words (e.g., bipolar disorder, suicide risk, and neuroimaging) and standard databases (e.g., MEDLINE). Second, theoretical suicide models were reviewed, and their evidence base and relevance to BD were evaluated in order to determine a guiding theoretical framework for contextualizing suicide in BD.

RESULTS

Although accumulating clinical, cognitive, and neurobiological correlates of suicide have been identified in BD, extant research has been largely atheoretical. The Cry of Pain (CoP) and an adapted version of the model, the Schematic Appraisals Model of Suicide (SAMS), provide a useful schema for examining vulnerability to suicide in BD, by taking into account biopsychosocial determinants of suicidality. In combination, these also provide a model within which the neural correlates of suicide can be integrated.

CONCLUSIONS

The proposed Bipolar Suicidality Model (BSM) highlights the psychosocial precursors to suicidality in BD, while recognizing the key role of cognitive deficits and underlying functional neurobiological abnormalities. It usefully integrates our knowledge, and provides a novel perspective that is intended to meaningfully inform future research initiatives, and can lead to a better understanding of suicidality in bipolar disorder. Ultimately, it is hoped that it will facilitate the development of targeted interventions that diminish the risk of suicide in bipolar disorder.

Schema therapy for bipolar disorder: a conceptual model and future directions

Schema therapy (ST) is an integrative form of psychotherapy developed for complex, chronic psychological disorders with a characterlogical underpinning. Bipolar disorder is just such a disorder--complex and often comorbid, with demonstrated stable cognitive and personality features that complicate the course of illness. This article presents the reasons justifying the application of ST to bipolar disorder and proposes a treatment rationale and future directions for treatment and research. If well adapted to the characteristics of bipolar disorder, ST might prove to be an effective adjunctive psychotherapy option that attenuates emotional reactivity, reduces symptoms and improves quality of life.

Temperamental patterns in female adolescents with borderline personality disorder

A specific composition of temperament traits with high novelty seeking (NS), high harm avoidance (HA), and low reward dependence (RD) has been attributed to adult patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study examined whether an analogue personality profile is specifically associated with adolescent BPD. The female study sample comprised 33 adolescents with BPD, 35 clinical controls (CCs), and 31 healthy controls (HCs). Dimensions of temperament and character were measured according to Cloninger's biopsychosocial model of personality. Significantly higher means of NS and HA but lower means of RD could be determined in the adolescents with BPD compared with the CCs and the HCs. The comparable findings of this specific temperament constellation in adolescents and adult patients with BPD suggest that heritable factors such as temperamental traits may contribute to the vulnerability for developing BPD. Early identification of a "borderline temperament" may facilitate early intervention and lower the risk for developing BPD.

Schema therapy for borderline personality disorder: a comprehensive review of its empirical foundations, effectiveness and implementation possibilities

Borderline personality disorder is a serious psychiatric disorder for which the effectiveness of the current pharmacotherapeutical and psychotherapeutic approaches has shown to be limited. In the last decades, schema therapy has increased in popularity as a treatment of borderline personality disorder; however, systematic evaluation of both effectiveness and empirical evidence for the theoretical background of the therapy is limited. This literature review comprehensively evaluates the current empirical status of schema therapy for borderline personality disorder. We first described the theoretical framework and reviewed its empirical foundations. Next, we examined the evidence regarding effectiveness and implementability. We found evidence for a considerable number of elements of Young's schema model; however, the strength of the results varies and there are also mixed results and some empirical blanks in the theory. The number of studies on effectiveness is small, but reviewed findings suggest that schema therapy is a promising treatment. In Western-European societies, the therapy could be readily implemented as a cost-effective strategy with positive economic consequences.

Early maladaptive schemas and functional impairment in remitted bipolar disorder patients

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Previous research indicates that low self-esteem is associated with functional impairment in remitted bipolar disorder patients. The present study aimed to elucidate this area further by exploring the relationship between different self-schemas and key functional outcome domains.

METHODS

The study consisted of 49 remitted bipolar disorders patients who completed the Young Schema Questionnaire-Short Version (YSQ-S3) and the Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS).

RESULTS

A hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the schemas Social Isolation, Failure to Achieve, Dependence, Vulnerability to Harm and Illness, Emotional Inhibition, Insufficient Self-Control, and Pessimism accounted for 28% of the variance in functional impairment when controlling for length of remission and subsyndromal depressive symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

The WSAS as a self-report scale measures the patients' perception of own functioning and is therefore not an objective measure of functioning.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings delineate specific psychological vulnerabilities which are likely to be implicated in functional impairment in bipolar disorder and as such warrant further examination in terms of their causal mechanisms and therapeutic implications.

The plight of personality disorders in the DSM-5

This article provides a brief history of the development of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association, and how it relates to the proposed fifth edition to be published in 2013. Of particular emphasis is Axis II and how this axis is likely to be restructured. The reconceptualization of the nosology for personality disorders has been controversial since the publication of the DSM-III-R (Wilson, 1993). In both the clinical and academic communities, ongoing debate about diagnostic classification of personality disorders has been common. One recurrent theme among the deliberations on diagnosis and personality disorder focuses on the question of whether distinct (categorical) diagnoses exist or whether diagnoses are dimensionally related to each other in some empirically determined way. The proposed changes for Axis II in the DSM-5 are likely to bridge the gap between these two arguments by revamping the overall criteria and discarding the three currently used diagnostic clusters. The resulting nosology proposes six personality disorders with common factors in Criteria A and Criteria B. However, a major concern and a continuing problem not likely to be resolved in this edition is the symptom resemblance of borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder. This article suggests some ways the revised DSM might affect mental health nursing practice.