Profile of patients with personality disorder diagnosis at a mental health services clinic

Abstract

Personality disorders are a persistent pattern of inner experience or behavior dissonant from the social norms and prevailing culture. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of patients with personality disorders in an outpatient mental health services clinic, as well as to identify their social-demographic characteristics, employing a cross-sectional descriptive and exploratory methodology. Personality disorder was the main diagnosis for approximately 16% of the sample. The most prevalent type was the emotionally unstable personality disorder or borderline personality disorder (BPD) in young women with low educational levels, and about 16% has required hospital confinement in their lifetime. The results obtained in this study allow a better understanding of the patients´ needs, and they can help define strategies to meet them.