Prevalence and characteristics of women with borderline personality pathology referred to a perinatal consultation liaison service

Outcomes for pregnant women with Borderline Personality Disorder who attended a specialist antenatal service

OBJECTIVE

Our study focussed on the obstetric and psychosocial outcomes of pregnant women with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) who received care via a specialist antenatal clinic in Western Australia.

METHOD

This study is a retrospective examination of outcomes for 80 women with a confirmed diagnosis of BPD, with findings compared with published population outcome data for the state.

RESULTS

Pregnant women with BPD appeared to be at a risk of complications including pre-eclampsia and special care nursery admission for their newborns when compared to population data. Furthermore, the studied women had elevated rates of psychiatric admissions during pregnancy, child protection involvement, and domestic violence. Polypharmacy exposure was frequent, with the likely impact on obstetric and neonatal outcomes requiring further study.

CONCLUSION

The findings reinforced the notion that pregnant women with BPD experience complex multifaceted vulnerabilities and require enhanced multidisciplinary care. Our study further calls for the development of clinical practice guidelines for managing BPD in the perinatal period.

Cannabis use, cannabis use disorder and mental health disorders among pregnant and postpartum women in the US: A nationally representative study

BACKGROUND

Cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are associated with mental health disorders, however the extent of this matter among pregnant and recently postpartum (e.g., new moms) women in the US is unknown. Associations between cannabis use, DSM-5 CUD and DSM-5 mental health disorders (mood, anxiety, personality and post-traumatic stress disorders) were examined among a nationally representative sample of pregnant and postpartum women.

METHODS

The 2012-2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III was used to examine associations between past-year cannabis use, CUD and mental health disorders. Weighted logistic regression models were used to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (aORs). The sample (N=1316) included 414 pregnant and 902 postpartum women (pregnant in the past year), aged 18-44 years old.

RESULTS

The prevalence of past-year cannabis use and CUD was 9.8% and 3.2%, respectively. The odds of cannabis use (aORs range 2.10-3.87, p-values<0.01) and CUD (aORs range 2.55-10.44, p-values< 0.01) were higher among women with versus without any past-year mood, anxiety or posttraumatic stress disorders or any lifetime personality disorder. aORs for the association of cannabis use with specific mood, anxiety or personality disorders ranged from 1.95 to 6.00 (p-values<0.05). aORs for the association of CUD with specific mood, anxiety or personality disorders ranged from 2.36 to 11.60 (p-values<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

From pregnancy up to one year postpartum is a critical period where women may be particularly vulnerable to mental health disorders, cannabis use and CUD. Treatment and prevention are essential.

Interventions for perinatal borderline personality disorder and complex trauma: a systematic review

Perinatal borderline personality disorder (BPD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) are associated with significant impairment to interpersonal functioning, and risk of intergenerational transmission of psychopathology. Evaluation of interventions, however, is scarce. To date, no systematic review has addressed interventions for perinatal BPD, cPTSD, and associated symptomatology. Given the modest evidence to support informed clinical guidelines, the objective of this systematic review is to synthesise the literature on interventions for perinatal BPD and cPTSD, and to generate future directions for research. A comprehensive literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted in PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Emcare, Scopus, and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global databases. Seven original studies were included, of which only two were randomised controlled trials, using less intensive comparison conditions. Results suggest an association between Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) group skills training, a multimodal therapeutic approach at a Mother-Baby Unit (MBU), and Child-Parent Psychotherapy with improved perinatal mental health outcomes and remission of symptoms. MBU admission and home-visiting programs were associated with healthy postpartum attachment relationships. Home-visiting programs and DBT group skills were additionally associated with improved maternal parenting capabilities. Conclusions to inform clinical guidelines are limited by a lack of credible comparison conditions, and low quantity and quality of evidence. The feasibility of implementing intensive interventions in real-world settings is dubious. Hence, it is suggested that future research considers utilising antenatal screening to identify at-risk mothers, and the implementation of early intervention, using robust designs that can inform robust conclusions.

The prevalence of borderline personality features and borderline personality disorder during the perinatal period: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychiatric disorder marked by severe affective instability and poor interpersonal functioning. Existing literature has highlighted that individuals with BPD are at greater risk for a wide range of adverse physiological and psychosocial outcomes in the perinatal period compared to perinatal individuals without BPD. However, to date, no systematic review has addressed the prevalence of BPD and borderline personality features (BPF) in pregnant and postpartum individuals. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted by searching three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase) on April 6th, 2021. Research articles and conference abstracts that evaluated BPF or BPD in pregnant, postpartum, or mixed perinatal populations were included. Sixteen publications were included in the systematic review (n = 14 research articles, n = 2 conference abstracts), seven of which were included in the meta-analysis. Among non-clinical samples, prevalence rates of BPF during pregnancy ranged from 6.9 to 26.7%, while rates of BPD across the perinatal period ranged from 0.7 to 1.7%. Among clinical samples, rates of BPF and BPD across the perinatal period spanned 9.7-34% and 2.0-35.2%, respectively. Results from the meta-analysis revealed that the pooled prevalence rate of BPD in clinical samples during the perinatal period is 14.0% (95% CI [7.0, 22.0]). Among clinical perinatal samples, there is a high prevalence of borderline personality pathology. This review highlights the need for appropriate validated screening methods to identify and treat BPD in the perinatal population.