Predictive factors for borderline personality disorder: patients' early traumatic experiences and losses suffered by the attachment figure

Objective: To test the hypothesis that serious losses in the life of the at tachment figure and patients' early traumatic experiences are risk factors for the development of borderline personality disorder. Method: A multicentric hospital-based case-control study of 66 cases and 14 6 controls. Results: We estimated an odds ratio of 2.5 (95% CI 1.1 -5.8) for mothers' s erious losses experienced within 2 years of patients' birth and an odds rat io of 5.3 (95% CI 2.1-13) for patients' early traumatic experiences. Both o f them are adjusted for the confounding effect of the other as well as for that of age, size of family and type of patient (in- or out-patient), using a multiple logistic function. Conclusion: Mourning process in the mother within 2 years of the patient's birth and patients' early traumatic experiences are predictive factors for the development of borderline personality disorder.