Am J Psychiatry 1975; 132:1257-1264
Copyright © 1975 by American Psychiatric Association
Borderline and schizophrenic patients: A comparative study
JG Gunderson, WT Carpenter Jr and JS Strauss
The authors describe the evaluation and follow-up of matched samples of
borderline and schizophrenic patients to determine the ways that borderline
disorders are similar to or different from schizophrenia. The borderline
patients presented more confusing diagnostic pictures, but they could be
differentiated from the schizophrenic patients by the absence of definite
or prolonged psychotic episode, by the relative severity of their
dissociative experiences, by more severe anger, and by less anxiety.
Despite the discrepant symptom pictures of the two patient groups, a
systematic review of prehospitalization functioning and two-year
posthospitalization course did not reveal significant differences between
them.
