Original Research J Clin Psychiatry January 2019

Deaths by Suicide and Other Causes Among Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder and Personality-Disordered Comparison Subjects Over 24 Years of Prospective Follow-Up

JCP 2019;80(1):10.4088/JCP.18m12436

Full Article Read the complete peer-reviewed article in J Clin Psychiatry. Clinical Summary Clinicians often focus on suicide risk in borderline personality disorder, but this study shows that premature death from other causes is even more common over long-term follow-up. For patients with borderline personality disorder, failure to achieve recovery tracked with a striking concentration of both suicide and non-suicide deaths, making medical risk surveillance part of psychiatric care. FAQ How often did patients with borderline personality disorder die by suicide in this study?

Key Takeaways In this cohort, non-suicide mortality in borderline personality disorder was more common than suicide mortality, with 14.0% of borderline patients dying of other causes versus 5.9% dying by suicide over 24 years; long-term care should therefore include routine medical risk assessment rather than focusing only on self-harm. Clinical Guide How can clinicians use this study's findings to identify patients with borderline personality disorder at higher risk of completed suicide? Clinical Guide How should clinicians assess risk for premature non-suicide death in patients with borderline personality disorder based on this study?