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Aggression in Borderline Personality Disorder: Evidence for Increased Risk and Clinical Predictors

  • PERSONALITY DISORDERS (H KOENIGSBERG, SECTION EDITOR)
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Abstract

This article aimed to systematically review the current literature regarding elevated risk of aggression in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and to review factors that differentiate aggressive from nonaggressive individuals with BPD. It has done so via a systematic review of the literature using Ovid MEDLINE and PsycINFO from 1980 to June 2010. Results indicate that BPD does not appear to be independently associated with increased risk of violence in the general population. History of childhood maltreatment, history of violence or criminality, and comorbid psychopathy or antisocial personality disorder appear to be predictors of violence in patients with BPD. This review concludes that the current evidence suggests that patients with BPD are not more violent than individuals in the general population. More studies are needed on factors that predict risk of aggression at an individual level.

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Acknowledgment

Dr. Links gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The views expressed in this publication are the views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Disclosure

Dr. Links has received an unrestricted educational grant from Eli Lilly and Company Canada.

Dr. Allen reported no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Suicide Studies Research Unit, Suite 2010e, Shuter Wing, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1W8, Canada

    Albert Allen & Paul S. Links

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Paul S. Links

  3. Centre for Research in Inner City Health in the Keenan Research Centre, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Paul S. Links

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  1. Albert Allen
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Correspondence to Albert Allen.

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Allen, A., Links, P.S. Aggression in Borderline Personality Disorder: Evidence for Increased Risk and Clinical Predictors. Curr Psychiatry Rep 14, 62–69 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-011-0244-9

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