Statistics and Facts about BPD

BPD patients make up 20% of the inpatients in the mental health system and is the fastest growing population

BPD makes up 11% of the outpatients in the mental health system

BPD has a 10% suicide rate.

70% of the hundreds of people on family and friends (non-BP) support groups sought the help of therapists.

PD is cormobid (occurs along with) major depression, bipolar disorder, substance abuse, and eating disorders.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 1V, published by the American Psychiatric Association, lists the incidence of BPD in the general population as 2%. This is 50% more common than Alzheimer's disease and nearly that of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia combined. However, the statistic of 2% cannot be accurate for the following reasons: clinicians are actively discouraged from putting BPD on a patient's chart because of the stigma and insurance denials and because most clinicians do not have the training to make a diagnosis.

The latest research findings indicate that many of the core traits of the severe personality disorders like BPD (e.g., impulsiveness and mood swings) appear to have neurobiogical underpinnings.

Although BPD has been shown to have neurobiogical underpinnings and an article about this appeared in a newsletter published by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), NAMI has not included BPD in its advocacy efforts. (NAMI advocates for five brain disorders: schizophrenia, bipolar, mood disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and panic attacks.) As we said above, BPD is 50% more common than Alzheimer's disease and nearly that of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia combined.