A comparative study of borderline patients in a psychiatric outpatient clinic.

The authors applied a list of operational criteria to all new patients in a large psychiatric outpatient department over a one-year period. A randomly selected group of patients clinically diagnosed as having borderline personality disorder was compared with groups with the diagnoses of schizophrenia, neurosis, and nonborderline personality disorder. The group with borderline personality disorder was significantly different from the other groups according to the criteria, especially on items reflecting impulsivity, affectivity, and overvaluation/derogation of others. Impaired reality testing proved a useful distinguishing criterion as well and should be retained as part of the borderline concept.