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Thursday 16 April 2026

Peer Reviewed

Psychological medicine

Borderline personality disorder: the difficult patient

Janine L Stevenson

Recent articles on:
Personality disorders

Emotional dysregulation: bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, or both?

Borderline personality disorder: not what it used to be

Antisocial personality disorder: managing the healthcare relationship

Borderline personality disorder: the difficult patient

Personality disorders: treat or retreat?

Recent articles on:
Mental health

Intimate partner violence: a whole-of-health responsibility

Perinatal mental illness: a clinical imperative for whole-family care

Continuing care of chronic schizophrenia: many pieces in the jigsaw

The physical health of patients with mental illness – complex interactions require complex interventions

Keeping their hearts in mind – cardiometabolic health and severe mental illness

Abstract

GPs are often the first point of contact for patients with borderline personality disorder, and this encounter can be critical in engaging these patients with health services that can provide support and treatment.

Key Points

General practitioners play an important role in the early recognition of patients with borderline personality disorder and then continue in a supportive role in the ongoing management of these patients. Early recognition allows effective resolution of symptoms before the development of complications, such as serious self-harm, suicide, drug abuse and relationship breakdown.

Picture credit: © Janine Stevenson, 2014.