The clinical significance of co‐morbid post‐traumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder: Case study and literature review

Abstract The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical significance of co‐morbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and the effect of this co‐morbidity on suicidal behaviour and response to treatment. Review of the evidence from past studies revealed that, although an additional diagnosis of PTSD did not exacerbate the BPD condition (or vice versa), certain symptoms were accentuated. These symptoms included anger, anxiety and avoidant behaviours as well as suicide proneness. The case analysed for the purposes of this study also highlights these findings from the literature review (i.e. certain symptoms of both PTSD and BPD were exacerbated in the patient, but there was no increase in overall psychopathology). The literature review further shows that despite promising results of alleviation of certain BPD features when treating for PTSD, treatment of such a co‐morbid condition must proceed with caution as treatment of PTSD without treatment of BPD and the related suicidal behaviour may be detrimental to the patient. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.