Borderline Personality Disorder: Insights into Etiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) face significant challenges, including instability in interpersonal relationships, an uncertain self-image, and intense fear of abandonment (autophobia), which often begins in early adulthood. Recognizing and addressing BPD at an early juncture not only helps to improve treatment and patient outcomes but also plays a crucial role in reducing long-term healthcare costs and resource allocation.

This Research Topic aims to explore the multiple facets of BPD, such as its etiology, diagnostic methods, treatment strategies, and the broader repercussions of BPD on individuals and communities. We also welcome papers on the intersections of BPD and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD), such as emotional dysregulation and difficulties with self-perception. Distinguishing between BPD and C-PTSD is crucial for accurate diagnosis and treatment.

Through an in-depth exploration of these critical dimensions, our objective is to advance comprehension of BPD and provide valuable contributions to the field of psychiatry.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

- Etiologic and Risk Factors: Investigating the genetic, neurobiological, and environmental factors contributing to the development of BPD. Exploring the role of early life experiences, trauma, and attachment issues in the manifestation of BPD symptoms.
- Diagnosis and Assessment: Evaluating the current diagnostic criteria for BPD and potential revisions or improvements.
- Treatment Approaches: Reviewing the efficacy of pharmacological interventions, psychotherapy, and other treatment modalities for BPD.
- Differences and similarities between BPD and C-PTSD: BPD and C-PTSD both involve severe emotional regulation challenges, yet their underlying causes and symptomatic expressions vary. Understanding these nuances is key to developing effective, individualized treatment plans.
- Comorbidity of BPD and C-PTSD: BPD and C-PTSD frequently co-occur, creating diagnostic and treatment challenges. Comorbid presentations can complicate symptom management, as emotional dysregulation from BPD may exacerbate trauma responses from C-PTSD, and vice versa.
- Suicide and Self-Harming Behaviors in BPD: Self-harming behaviors are often a maladaptive coping mechanism used to manage emotional pain. Differentiating between suicidal intent and self-harm without suicidal intent is critical for clinicians, as both behaviors require different interventions.
- Role of Primary Care Physicians and Collaborative Care: The role of integrated care models involving primary care physicians and general practitioners in the early detection, diagnosis, and management of BPD.

Keywords: Borderline Personality Disorder, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Emotional Dysregulation, Episodic Dysphoria, Therapeutic Intervention, Adverse Childhood Experiences

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.