Patients with a personality disorder may experience stigmatization, sometimes even on a daily basis. However, research suggests that not everyone with a personality disorder experiences it in the...Show morePatients with a personality disorder may experience stigmatization, sometimes even on a daily basis. However, research suggests that not everyone with a personality disorder experiences it in the same way, and that the extent to which it is internalized is also different for different persons, depending on a number of possible variables. The aim of the current study is to investigate the role of some of these variables, i.e. that of the type of personality disorder and age. It also examines whether the age at which patients have first been diagnosed might influence the extent to which they internalize stigmatization. In total, 36 participants from two specialized outpatient clinics filled out four questionnaires on stigma, in a cross-sectional comparative study design. The results show that neither the type of personality disorder nor age play a role, and that the age at which someone receives a diagnosis of personality disorder does not predict whether stigma will be internalized. Although the present study has its limitations, such as a modest representation of the target group and low statistical power, it is of value because it focuses on the patients’ perspective and paves the way for further research on this topic.Show less
Background: A large number of studies have been conducted on the topic of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in borderline personality disorder (BPD), however, there is hardly any...Show moreBackground: A large number of studies have been conducted on the topic of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in borderline personality disorder (BPD), however, there is hardly any research that examines the comorbidity rate of PTSD in non-BPD personality disorders (PDs). Knowledge about all clusters of PDs in terms of comorbid PTSD is needed in order to generate a more detailed clinical picture of PDs. Aims: This study is primarily designed to investigate the point-prevalence of comorbid PTSD in clinical practice and, in addition, to explore to what extent the point-prevalence of comorbid PTSD differs between BPD and non-BPD PD patients and gender. Secondly, this study also investigates whether the amount of comorbid disorders is predicted by BPD (versus non-BPD PDs), PTSD and/or gender. Methods: For this retrospective study, data of 183 PD patients was used. During the intake process, the PD diagnosis and comorbid psychiatric disorders were examined using The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-V and The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview Plus. Results: The point-prevalence rates of comorbid PTSD in this non-BPD PD sample is 12.7% and in this BPD sample is 23.1%. Additionally, there was no difference in likelihood of comorbid PTSD in BPD and non-BPD PD patients and between gender. Furthermore, BPD (versus non-BPD PDs), PTSD and gender did not predict the amount of comorbid disorders. Conclusions and implications: The results indicate that in clinical practice, comorbid PTSD and other comorbid disorders might not be recognized so often and thus might be underdiagnosed in PD patients. Hence, there must be more sensitivity in clinical practice for the recognition of comorbid PTSD and other comorbid disorders in PD patients.Show less
