Chronic suicidality and borderline personality.

Suicidal ideation is a complex clinical event. In this article, acute suicidal ideation is compared with chronic suicidal ideation, specifically their different meanings, relationships with Axis I and Axis II disorders, intrapsychic functions, approaches to assessment, and interventions. The potential risks of acute hospitalization of the chronically suicidal borderline personality disorder patient are discussed as well as a longitudinal, multidimensional treatment strategy for the chronically suicidal individual.