Gender differences and similarities in aggression, impulsivity, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric comorbidity in men and women with borderline personality disorder compared with healthy controls
Leo Sher, M.D.
Our research report, “Gender differences and similarities in aggression, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric comorbidity in borderline personality disorder” was published 5 years ago in the January 2019 issue of the Journal of Psychiatric Research (1). In this study, we examined gender differences and similarities in aggression, impulsivity, suicidal behavior, and psychiatric comorbidity in men and women with borderline personality disorder (BPD) compared with healthy controls.
A community sample of 511 participants (healthy controls: 81 men and 82 women; BPD patients: 145 men and 203 women) was characterized using structured diagnostic interviews and symptom severity assessments.
In comparison with women with BPD, men were less educated, had higher total Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS), BIS-motoric impulsiveness and BIS-non-planning impulsiveness subscale, total Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ), and BPAQ-physical aggression subscale scores. Men with BPD were more likely to have comorbid narcissistic, antisocial, paranoid, and schizotypal personality disorders, alcohol and substance use disorders but less likely to have dependent and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders compared to women with BPD. There was a trend toward higher maximum lethality of suicide attempts in men suicide attempters compared with women suicide attempters but no difference between men and women regarding the proportion of suicide attempters or the number of suicide attempts.
In summary, our study has shown that men with BPD are more impaired and may be at higher risk of dying by suicide compared to women with BPD. Gender differences in proportion of suicide attempters observed in the general population (women > men) are absent in individuals with BPD.
Reference
- Sher L, Rutter SB, New AS, Siever LJ, Hazlett EA. Gender differences and similarities in aggression, suicidal behaviour, and psychiatric comorbidity in borderline personality disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2019 Feb;139(2):145-153. doi: 10.1111/acps.12981. Epub 2018 Nov 12.