A case report of borderline personality disorder

• Main Authors: Mei, San Leong, Ahmad Basri, Nadzirah, Mohamed, Nor Firdous
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Penerbit Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI Press) 2024
• Subjects: BF Psychology; BF698 Personality
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/116091/1/A%20case%20report%20of%20borderline%20personality%20disorder.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/116091/; https://ojs.upsi.edu.my/index.php/ESSS/article/view/9491/5294

This case report is about a 37-year-10-month female, AK, who presented with history of self-injurious behaviours, multiple overdose incidents, feelings of emptiness and anger, a lack of interest in all activities, and sleep disturbance. AK was initially referred for cognitive behavioural therapy by a psychiatrist. She reported symptoms consistent with borderline personality disorder. AK has not undergone a standardised psychological assessment previously. Due to the heterogeneity of borderline personality disorder and the potential of comorbidity, a thorough psychological assessment is needed for intervention planning. Psychological assessments (i.e. Beck’s Depression Inventory, Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale, Borderline Symptom List 23, and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2) and mental state examination were conducted to better understand her psycho-social, personality, and daily functioning. Following the assessments, a provisional diagnosis of borderline personality disorder comorbid with major depressive disorder was given. Several recommendations were made to help AK improve her overall well-being based on her current problems. Challenges faced in deciding the final diagnosis were discussed. This case report illustrates the importance of applying evidence-based assessments and synthesizing assessment findings in diagnosing personality disorders.