I Baryshnikov1, J Suvisaari2, K Aaltonen3, M Koivisto1, P Näätänen1, B Karpov1, T Melartin4, J Oksanen5, K Suominen6, M Heikkinen1, T Paunio1, G Joffe1, E Isometsä7. 1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, (Välskärinkatu 12 A), 00014 Helsinki, Finland. 2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, (Välskärinkatu 12 A), 00014 Helsinki, Finland; Department of Social Services and Health Care, Helsinki, Finland. 3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, (Välskärinkatu 12 A), 00014 Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mental Health Unit, Mannerheimintie 166, 00271 Helsinki, Finland. 4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 590, 00029 Helsinki, Finland. 5. Department of Social Services and Health Care, Helsinki, Finland. 6. City of Helsinki, Social Services and Healthcare, Helsinki, Finland; Aurora Hospital, P.O. Box 6800, 00099 Helsinki, Finland. 7. Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 22, (Välskärinkatu 12 A), 00014 Helsinki, Finland; National Institute for Health and Welfare, Mental Health Unit, Mannerheimintie 166, 00271 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: erkki.isometsa@hus.fi.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Distinguishing between symptoms of schizotypal (SPD) and borderline personality disorders (BPD) is often difficult due to their partial overlap and frequent co-occurrence. We investigated correlations in self-reported symptoms of SPD and BPD in questionnaires at the levels of both total scores and individual items, examining overlapping dimensions. METHODS: Two questionnaires, the McLean Screening Instrument (MSI) for BPD and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief (SPQ-B) for SPD, were filled in by patients with mood disorders (n=282) from specialized psychiatric care in a study of the Helsinki University Psychiatric Consortium. Correlation coefficients between total scores and individual items of the MSI and SPQ-B were estimated. Multivariate regression analysis (MRA) was conducted to examine the relationships between SPQ-B and MSI. RESULTS: The Spearman's correlation between total scores of the MSI and SPQ-B was strong (rho=0.616, P<0.005). Items of MSI reflecting disrupted relatedness and affective dysregulation correlated moderately (rφ varied between 0.2 and 0.4, P<0.005) with items of SPQ. Items of MSI reflecting behavioural dysregulation correlated only weakly with items of SPQ. In MRA, depressive symptoms, sex and MSI were significant predictors of SPQ-B score, whereas symptoms of anxiety, age and SPQ-B were significant predictors of MSI score. CONCLUSIONS: Items reflecting cognitive-perceptual distortions and affective symptoms of BPD appear to overlap with disorganized and cognitive-perceptual symptoms of SPD. Symptoms of depression may aggravate self-reported features of SPQ-B, and symptoms of anxiety features of MSI. Symptoms of behavioural dysregulation of BPD and interpersonal deficits of SPQ appear to be non-overlapping.
BACKGROUND: Distinguishing between symptoms of schizotypal (SPD) and borderline personality disorders (BPD) is often difficult due to their partial overlap and frequent co-occurrence. We investigated correlations in self-reported symptoms of SPD and BPD in questionnaires at the levels of both total scores and individual items, examining overlapping dimensions. METHODS: Two questionnaires, the McLean Screening Instrument (MSI) for BPD and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire Brief (SPQ-B) for SPD, were filled in by patients with mood disorders (n=282) from specialized psychiatric care in a study of the Helsinki University Psychiatric Consortium. Correlation coefficients between total scores and individual items of the MSI and SPQ-B were estimated. Multivariate regression analysis (MRA) was conducted to examine the relationships between SPQ-B and MSI. RESULTS: The Spearman's correlation between total scores of the MSI and SPQ-B was strong (rho=0.616, P<0.005). Items of MSI reflecting disrupted relatedness and affective dysregulation correlated moderately (rφ varied between 0.2 and 0.4, P<0.005) with items of SPQ. Items of MSI reflecting behavioural dysregulation correlated only weakly with items of SPQ. In MRA, depressive symptoms, sex and MSI were significant predictors of SPQ-B score, whereas symptoms of anxiety, age and SPQ-B were significant predictors of MSI score. CONCLUSIONS: Items reflecting cognitive-perceptual distortions and affective symptoms of BPD appear to overlap with disorganized and cognitive-perceptual symptoms of SPD. Symptoms of depression may aggravate self-reported features of SPQ-B, and symptoms of anxiety features of MSI. Symptoms of behavioural dysregulation of BPD and interpersonal deficits of SPQ appear to be non-overlapping.