Which factors are associated with duration of untreated illness in borderline personality disorder?

Aim: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent condition associated with high rates of hospitalizations. The purpose of this manuscript was to detect the factors associated with duration of untreated illness (DUI) in BPD.

Methods: Through chart review, we identified 152 patients followed up by community psychiatry services in Milan and Monza, Italy. The association between DUI and socioeconomic and clinical variables was examined using Pearson correlation and analyses of variances. The statistically significant variables from univariate analyses were then inserted in regression models.

Results: A longer DUI was associated with several variables (substance misuse after the onset of BPD, older age, earlier age at onset, longer duration of illness), but these results were not maintained in the regression analyses.

Conclusions: In conclusion, DUI does not seem to be significantly associated with specific clinical aspects of BPD, or significantly modify the course and outcome of the disorder. Studies with larger samples have to confirm these preliminary findings.