Effect of comorbid ADHD on mortality in women with borderline personality disorder

Background: Many similarities exist between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), more so in women than in men. People with comorbid ADHD and BPD represent a subgroup of BPD patients with distinct symptom expression and, consequently, a different prognosis. We used Swedish national high quality registers to assess whether such comorbidity is related to increased mortality risk. The study focused on women with BPD because they are more likely than men to be clinically diagnosed with BPD and present a higher mortality risk, especially for unnatural causes of death, including suicide.

Findings: In a cohort of 15 847 women diagnosed with BPD a subsequent clinical diagnosis of ADHD did not influence the overall risk of mortality, including suicide.

Conclusions: Women with comorbid ADHD and BPD have a similar mortality risk as those only diagnosed with BPD.