Gender differences in the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder

• Published in: Personality disorders Vol. 13; no. 3; p. 277
• Main Authors: Dehlbom, Peter, Wetterborg, Dan, Lundqvist, Daniel, Maurex, Liselotte, Dal, Henrik, Dalman, Christina, Kosidou, Kyriaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.05.2022
• Subjects: Borderline Personality Disorder - diagnosis; Borderline Personality Disorder - epidemiology; Borderline Personality Disorder - therapy; Comorbidity; Female; Humans; Male; Psychotherapy; Sex Factors
• ISSN: 1949-2723
• DOI: 10.1037/per0000507

It is debated whether men with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are less often treated for their disorder, compared to women, even when they have sought care. Here, the aim was to examine gender differences in the treatment of patients with BPD. Through linkage to Swedish health and administrative registers, we identified all patients diagnosed with BPD ( = 5530) in Stockholm County from 2012 to 2016. We ascertained information on sociodemographic characteristics, comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, and all mental health care utilization within inpatient and outpatient mental health care, including receipt of psychiatric medication and various psychological therapies. We identified 802 men and 4,728 women with BPD during the study period. Men with BPD were less likely than their female counterparts to be treated with psychotherapy as well as psychiatric medication. Most of the differences in treatment with psychological therapies were nonsignificant in the multivariate model, indicating they are likely the result of differences in sociodemographic variables and comorbidity between men and women with BPD. Men with BPD were in average 4 years older than women at the time of the first BPD diagnosis, had lower education, and were also more likely to receive social welfare support. In conclusion, few men are diagnosed with BPD and those who are diagnosed are likely to receive somewhat less psychiatric medication and psychological therapies compared to women. Researchers and clinicians need to focus more on men with BPD to improve help-seeking and recognition of this disabling condition in men and enable equal treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).