Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2010 Sep-Oct;51(5):486-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.02.006. Epub 2010 Mar 29.

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

Astrid Kristine Kahr Nilsson  1 , Carsten René Jørgensen, Krista Nielsen Straarup, Rasmus Wentzer Licht
Affiliations
Comparative Study

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

Astrid Kristine Kahr Nilsson et al. Compr Psychiatry. 2010 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: There is an unsettled debate on whether borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder should be considered related or distinct. This study aimed to further the understanding of the similarities and differences between the 2 disorders by comparing borderline patients, bipolar patients, and controls in terms of various affective temperaments and maladaptive self-schemas.

Methods: The sample consisted of 85 participants (31 borderline patients, 25 bipolar patients and 29 student controls) who completed 2 questionnaires: The Temperament Evaluation of the Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire and the Young Schema Questionnaire. All of the patients were in remission from affective episodes.

Results: Compared to the bipolar patients and the controls, the borderline patients were characterized by significantly higher mean scores on most of the maladaptive self-schemas and affective temperaments. The bipolar patients differed significantly from controls by higher mean scores on the cyclothymic temperament and insufficient self-control.

Conclusions: The study suggests that affective temperaments and maladaptive self-schemas are more severe in borderline patients than in bipolar patients. These findings point to phenomenological differences between the 2 disorders and therefore question their degree of kinship.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles