Borderline personality and mood disorders: Risk factors, precursors, and early signs in childhood and youth

Abstract

Over the past two decades, borderline personality disorder has been shown to be a reliable and valid disorder in adolescents and young adults. It has also become clear that both borderline- and mood-related psychopathology first become clinically prominent across the same developmental period, from puberty through to young adulthood, and that they frequently co-occur. Borderline personality and mood disorders share many common risk factors and precursors, rendering this aspect of clinical assessment of limited specificity. While the longitudinal outcomes for individuals presenting with such psychopathology are highly variable, evidence suggests that borderline- and mood-related psychopatholo..