Immigrants and borderline personality disorder at a psychiatric emergency service

Abstract

Our results showed that in the psychiatric emergency service borderline personality disorder was diagnosed less frequently in the immigrant group v. the indigenous group. Our results do not support the concept of migration as a risk factor for borderline personality disorder.

The challenge of routine follow-up in e-mental health services

“…Castaneda and Franco (1985) found no ethnic group differences in rates of BPD, whereas the study of Pascual et al (2008) showed that immigrants in a psychiatric emergency service had a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with BPD.The aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of borderline personality disorder in psychiatric inpatients with an immigrant background vs. the indigenous group.A total of 2494 consecutive patients over a three-year period at a psychiatric university hospital were reviewed. The few studies regarding the prevalence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in immigrants compared to an indigenous population are inconsistent.…”

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Information about the relationship between personality disorder and ethnicity or migration is sparse. The difference between the indigenous and the immigrant group regarding the rates of BPD-diagnoses was statistically significant (chi 2 =5,02, df=1, p=0,025).In accordance to the findings of Pascual et al (2008) and challenging the results of Castaneda and Franco (1985), our findings suggest that in a clinical sample BPD was diagnosed less frequently in the immigrant group than in the indigenous group. Castaneda and Franco (1985) found no ethnic group differences in rates of BPD, whereas the study of Pascual et al (2008) showed that immigrants in a psychiatric emergency service had a lower likelihood of being diagnosed with BPD.

The aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of borderline personality disorder in psychiatric inpatients with an immigrant background vs. the indigenous group.

A total of 2494 consecutive patients over a three-year period at a psychiatric university hospital were reviewed.

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Cross-cultural bias in the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder

“…Pascual et al (2008) found that all patients were similar, independent of region of origin, with no significant difference between subgroups in gender, risk of suicide, risk of danger to others, or family disruption. However, patients with BPD from North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa were younger, and those from Asia were older than the indigenous group.…”

“…Hispanic immigrants more often diagnosed with BPD than White or Black patients in the U.S. Castaneda and Franco (1985); Chavira et al (2003) Immigrants with lower rates of BPD diagnoses than indigenous populations Baleydier et al (2003) in Switzerland; Pascual et al (2008) in Spain; Nielsen et al (2011) in Germany self-harming behaviors, and more thoughts of interpersonal aggression than White patients. Differences in affective symptoms were accounted for by group differences in substance use and receipt of inpatient services, whereas differences in behavioral symptomatology persisted after adjusting for potential confounders, demonstrating that the BPD experience may differ substantially across races.…”

“…However, Baleydier, Damsa, Schutzbach, and Glauser (2003) drew attention to a lower frequency of general personality disorder in immigrants presenting at a psychiatric emergency service in Geneva when compared with indigenous patients. Pascual et al (2008) examined the association between immigration and BPD in individuals who received treatment at 157 a Spanish psychiatric emergency service to investigate possible differences in relation to the region of origin. Diagnosis was surmised based on information gathered from the patient and family, in addition to electronic medical record data.…”