Assessment and Emergency Management of Suicidality in Personality Disorders

This article examines the association between suicidal behavior and personality disorders. It updates the review of epidemiological evidence for the association between suicidal behavior and suicide in individuals who have a personality disorder diagnosis, particularly in borderline personality disorder (BPD). The second part of the article presents new empirical evidence that characterizes suicidal behavior in patients who have BPD, specifically examining patient characteristics that differentiate patients who have BPD with a history of high versus low lethality suicide attempts. Finally, the article discusses the approach to a patient who has BPD and presents to the emergency department because of an increased risk of suicide.