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1 results

  • What do general adult psychiatry patients think we should call borderline personality disorder? A cross-sectional study to find the most acceptable diagnostic term

  • David Hayward, Amy Fourie, Donald MacIntyre, Douglas Steele
  • Journal:
    BJPsych Bulletin , FirstView
    Published online by Cambridge University Press:
    19 August 2025, pp. 1-5
    • Article
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  • Aims and method

    To determine the most acceptable term for borderline personality disorder (BPD). We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients who know what it feels like to be diagnosed with a mental disorder. The main outcome measures were the proportion of participants offended and confused by alternative terms for BPD.

    Results

    Seventy-two people participated in the study. Being diagnosed with a condition was more offensive than being diagnosed with a disorder (χ2 = 41.18, d.f. = 1, P < 0.01). Fluxithymia offended the fewest participants (13%), but was the most confusing term (31%). Emotionally unstable personality disorder was the most offensive term (63%). After fluxithymia, emotional intensity disorder was the least offensive term, and not especially confusing (11%). Changing BPD to emotional intensity disorder would avoid an offensive event every 3.6 diagnostic announcements.

    Clinical implications

    The diagnostic term BPD should be replaced with emotional intensity disorder, because this term provides a balance of clarity and inoffensiveness.