Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as a potentially aggravating factor in borderline personality disorder

BackgroundClinical experience suggests that people with borderline personality disorder often meet criteria for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, empirical data are sparse.AimsTo establish the prevalence of childhood and adult ADHD in a group of women with borderline personality disorder and to investigate the psychopathology and childhood experiences of those with and without ADHD.MethodWe assessed women seeking treatment for borderline personality disorder (n=118) for childhood and adult ADHD, co-occurring Axis I and Axis II disorders, severity of borderline symptomatology and traumatic childhood experiences.ResultsChildhood (41.5%) and adult (16.1%) ADHD prevalence was high. Childhood ADHD was associated with emotional abuse in childhood and greater severity of adult borderline symptoms. Adult ADHD was associated with greater risk for co-occurring Axis I and II disorders.ConclusionsAdults with severe borderline personality disorder frequently show a history of childhood ADHD symptomatology. Persisting ADHD correlates with frequency of co-occurring Axis I and II disorders. Severity of borderline symptomatology in adulthood is associated with emotional abuse in childhood. Further studies are needed to differentiate any potential causal relationship between ADHD and borderline personality disorder.

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Characterizing adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder and comorbid borderline personality disorder: ADHD symptoms, psychopathology, cognitive functioning and psychosocial factors

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2015.09.012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. 29-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

G.K. O’Malley ◽

L. McHugh ◽

N. Mac Giollabhui ◽

J. Bramham

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Psychosocial Factors ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Adhd Symptoms ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Axis I

AbstractObjectiveTo characterize adults with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD) with regard to ADHD symptoms, psychopathology, cognitive functioning and psychosocial factors.MethodA between-group design compared a group of individuals diagnosed with ADHD (n = 40) with a group diagnosed with BPD and who also met the criteria for ADHD (ADHD + BPD) (n = 20).ResultsSignificant differences were observed for both childhood and current impulsivity symptoms, whereby ADHD + BPD exhibited increased impulsivity; no differences on self-report and cognitive measures of impulsivity were reported. The ADHD + BPD group scored significantly higher on measures of depression, anxiety and numerous other axis I and II conditions. The ADHD + BPD group scored significantly lower on most measures of intellectual functioning and attention, however largely not on those relating to response inhibition. Furthermore, group differences were observed for psychosocial factors, including education, substance use and criminal record.ConclusionComorbid ADHD and BPD is characterized by more symptoms of impulsivity, additional psychopathology, comparatively lower intellectual and attentional functioning and increased psychosocial difficulties.

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The specificity of clinical characteristics in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a comparison with patients with borderline personality disorder

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2003.07.010 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 19 (2) ◽

pp. 72-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

J.H. Dowson ◽

A. McLean ◽

E. Bazanis ◽

B. Toone ◽

S. Young ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Adult Adhd ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Self Report ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder

AbstractCharacteristics of DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults can also be found as part of other psychiatric disorders. This study investigated the specificity of adult ADHD features in relation to patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a syndrome which shares some of its intrinsic features with ADHD and often co-occurs with ADHD. A group of 20 adult patients selected on the basis of a diagnosis of ADHD and 20 patients selected on the basis of a diagnosis of BPD were assessed by the self-report Attention Deficit Scales for Adults (ADSA). The two groups were matched for age, verbal IQ and gender. Of the nine ADSA scales, seven showed significant inter-group differences, in particular involving attention, organisation and persistence. The ‘Consistency/Long-Term’ scale, which mainly reflects impaired task and goal persistence, was the best discriminator between the groups. Furthermore, ratings on this scale correlated significantly with the error score of a computer-administered task of spatial working memory, the performance of which has been reported to be impaired in patients with ADHD. The results provide further validation for the ADSA scales and support a previous claim that ‘long-term consistencies’, i.e., related to task and goal persistence, is ‘the centrepiece behavioural issue’ for adults with ADHD.

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Dimensions of Impulsivity in Healthy People, Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder, and Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Journal of Attention Disorders ◽

10.1177/1087054718822121 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (4) ◽

pp. 584-595 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pavla Linhartová ◽

Jan Širůček ◽

Anastasia Ejova ◽

Richard Barteček ◽

Pavel Theiner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Borderline Personality Disorder ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Latent Variables ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Healthy People ◽

Stop Signal Task ◽

Impulsive Behavior ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective: Impulsivity, observed in patients with various psychiatric disorders, is a heterogeneous construct with different behavioral manifestations. Through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study tests hypotheses about relationships between dimensions of impulsivity measured using personality questionnaires and behavioral tests. Method: The study included 200 healthy people, 40 patients with borderline personality disorder, and 26 patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who underwent a comprehensive impulsivity test battery including the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS), UPPS-P Impulsive Behavior Scale, a Go-NoGo task, a stop-signal task, and a delay discounting task. Results: A CFA model comprising three self-reported and three behavioral latent variables reached a good fit. Both patient groups scored higher in the self-reported dimensions and impulsive choice; only the ADHD patients displayed impaired waiting and stopping impulsivity. Conclusions: Using the developed CFA model, it is possible to describe relations between impulsivity dimensions and show different impulsivity patterns in patient populations.

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