Distribution of borderline personality disorder related impulsivity types in psychiatric clinical populations.

BACKGROUND: Impulsivity is a core feature of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), yet its prevalence and variations across demographics and diagnoses in clinical populations are underexplored. This study aims to investigate the frequency and distribution of impulsive behaviors related to BPD among a large clinical sample, considering gender, age, and diagnostic categories. METHODS: A total of 2862 participants were consecutively sampled from psychiatric and psycho-counseling clinics. BPD traits and symptoms were assessed using the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire 4th Edition Plus (PDQ-4plus), a concise and well-structured self-report questionnaire. Impulsive behaviors, including overspending, casual sex, excessive drinking, drug use, overeating, and reckless behavior, were evaluated based on item 106 of the PDQ-4plus. RESULTS: Overall frequencies show that 36.10% engaged in overspending, 10.30% in casual sex, 20.00% in excessive drinking, 7.30% in using drugs, 38.70% in overeating, and 15.60% in reckless behavior. Significant gender differences were observed, with men reporting higher rates of casual sex (χ² = 13.868, p < 0.001) and excessive drinking (χ² = 35.331, p < 0.001), while women reported higher rates of overeating (χ² = 27.320, p < 0.001). Age analysis revealed that younger adults exhibited higher impulsivity, particularly in overspending and reckless behavior. Diagnostic analysis showed that psychotic and mood disorders were associated with higher rates of overspending and overeating. CONCLUSIONS: The study underscores the importance of considering demographic and diagnostic variations when addressing impulsive behaviors in BPD. These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.