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The following is a summary of “Contrasting characteristics of psychosis in outpatients with borderline personality disorder or schizophrenia at a tertiary care institution,” published in the December 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Hernández-Velázquez et al. 

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizophrenia both present with psychotic symptoms like delusions and hallucinations. This study compared psychotic symptom characteristics and related outcomes in both patient groups. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study comparing psychotic symptoms in patients with BPD and schizophrenia at a tertiary care center. 

They assessed 50 individuals with BPD and 50 with schizophrenia, aged 18 to 45 years, for psychotic symptom intensity using the Psychotic Symptom Assessment Scale (PSYRATS) and Cardiff Abnormal Perceptions Scale (CAPS) scales. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS v25.0. 

The results showed that on the PSYRATS, the schizophrenia group had higher scores in auditory hallucinations and the number of voices, while the BPD group’s auditory hallucinations score was correlated with suicide attempts (P=0.025). On the CAPS, the BPD group had higher scores on positive abnormal perceptions across all dimensions compared to the schizophrenia group (P=0.002). 

Investigators found that patients with BPD experienced more intense psychotic-like symptoms, with higher frequency, interference, and distress compared to those with schizophrenia. A significant correlation was identified between auditory hallucinations and suicide attempts in the BPD group. 

Source: frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1485000/full