Comorbidity of Borderline Personality Disorder among Patients with Conversion Disorder
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52053/jpap.v7i1.475Keywords:
borderline personality disorder, Comorbidity, Conversion Disorder, PakistanAbstract
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Conversion Disorder (CD) otherwise known as Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder has convergent symptomatology, especially dysregulation of emotion and traumatic events. Although the overlap exists, there has been little region-specific data in regards to their comorbidity. To determine the commonality of borderline personality disorder in the group of individuals with Conversion Disorder. This was a cross-sectional study involving 300 patients who were diagnosed with Conversion Disorder at the psychiatric unit of Bahawal Victoria hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Conversion Disorder was diagnosed by consultant psychiatrists according to the DSM-5 clinical criteria. The McLean Screening Instrument of Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI -BPD) was used in the assessment of BPD characteristics. Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics were done using SPSS version 25. Out of 300 (86.7% female, 13.3% male) participants, 247 (82.3 percent) have received positive scores of BPD at the suggested cut-off of 7 on the MSI-BPD. MSI-BPD internal consistency was satisfactory in this cohort (Cronbach ?=.76). There were no statistically significant gender differences in BPD screening status (p<0.05). A significant rate of the presence of borderline personalities was found among the patients with Conversion Disorder. The results of the study add to the challenge of strong utility of systematic personality assessment among patients exhibiting a functional neurological presentation, thus enabling effective diagnosis and the development of an integrated approach to the treatment.
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