Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a major mental illness with a lifetime prevalence of approximately 1-3%, characterized by a persistent pattern of instability in relationships, mood, impulse regulation, and sense of self. This results in impulsive self-damaging behavior, high suicide rates, and severe functional impairment. BPD has a complex, multifactorial etiology, resulting from an interaction among genetic and environmental substrates, and has moderate to high heritability based on twin and family studies. However, our understanding of the genetic architecture of BPD is very limited. This is a critical obstacle since genetics can pave the way for identifying new treatment targets and developing preventive and disease-modifying pharmacological treatments which are currently lacking. We review genetic studies in BPD, with a focus on limitations and challenges and future directions. Genetic research in BPD is still in its very early stages compared to other major psychiatric disorders. Most early genetic studies in BPD were non-replicated association studies in small samples, focused on single candidate genes. More recently, there has been one genome-wide linkage study and a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of subclinical BPD traits and a first GWAS in a relatively modest sample of patients fulfilling full diagnostic criteria for the disorder. Although there are adequate animal models for some of the core dimensions of BPD, there is a lack of translational research including data from animal models in BPD. Research in more pioneering fields, such as imaging genetics, deep sequencing and epigenetics, holds promise for elucidating the pathophysiology of BPD and identifying new treatment targets.

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Background Studies have suggested that caregivers of patients with chronic illnesses experience higher rates of depression and burden than the general population. The Aim of this study To assess the rate of depression and psychological burden in caregivers of children with CKD and compare it with a healthy control group. Patients and Methods This is a case control comparative study conducted in El Demerdash pediatric hospital aimed at screening symptoms of depression and psychological burden in a sample of 30 cases of caregivers of children with CKD compared to 30 controls of caregivers, as well as socioeconomic stress as a factor for burden and depression. Results The current study confirmed that caregivers of children with chronic kidney disease have significantly more depression and psychological burden compared to their matched controls. Conclusion There is a high rate of depression and burden in caregivers of children with CKD which often go unnoticed and neglected.

Femicide is an ongoing public health and human rights crisis of global proportions. Currently, however, there is a relative vacuum of ethics theory and discussion about femicide amongst the health professions. This article draws from three illustrative case examples along the continuum of femicide to explore contemporary ethical concerns relevant to addressing gender-based violence and death through clinical medicine and public health. Using an epistemic justice framework, we analyze the relative invisibility of femicide in public health discourse today, and renew a conversation about ethical issues inherent to health interventions and policy-making around femicide.