Borderline disorders in children and adolescents: the concept, the diagnosis, and the controversies.

The concept of borderline disorders in children and adolescents remains controversial. After reviewing the development of the "borderline" diagnosis, the author discusses the concept of personality disorders in children and clinical features of borderline personality disorder. He also highlights current ideas on the etiology of the disorder, including psychodynamic, developmental, and biological theories, family factors such as the effects of early loss or separation from parents, and physical and sexual abuse. The author concludes by discussing the differences and similarities between posttraumatic stress disorder as a result of sexual abuse and borderline personality disorder in children and adolescents.