Advances in Borderline Personality Disorder: From Detection to Treatment

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuropsychiatry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 9 October 2026 | Viewed by 726

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a complex and multifaceted condition characterized by instability in emotions, self-image, and interpersonal relationships. Despite advances in research and clinical practice, early detection and effective treatment remain major challenges. Understanding the underlying mechanisms, improving diagnostic accuracy, and developing evidence-based interventions are critical steps toward enhancing outcomes for individuals affected by BPD.

This Special Issue seeks high-quality contributions that advance knowledge across the spectrum of BPD research and care. We welcome original research, reviews, and theoretical articles that explore topics such as the following:

  • Innovative approaches to early detection and risk identification;
  • Advances in psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment strategies;
  • Mechanisms underlying emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and interpersonal difficulties;
  • Longitudinal studies and predictors of treatment response;
  • Integrated models of care and recovery-oriented interventions;
  • Neurobiological and genetic insights into BPD;
  • Digital health tools and technology-assisted interventions;
  • Comorbidities and differential diagnosis in BPD;
  • Cultural, social, and environmental factors influencing BPD presentation and outcomes.

We encourage submissions that combine scientific rigor with clinical relevance, aiming to bridge the gap between research and practice. Contributions highlighting new insights, novel methodologies, or translational applications that can inform patient-centred care are particularly welcome.

By gathering cutting-edge work in a single issue, our goal is to foster a deeper understanding of BPD and promote strategies that improve detection, treatment, and overall quality of life for those affected. We invite researchers, clinicians, and scholars from diverse disciplines to contribute to this timely and important collection.

Dr. Irene Messina
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • borderline personality disorder
  • early detection
  • treatment
  • mechanisms
  • neurobiology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

14 pages, 245 KB  
Review
The Fate of Borderline Pathology in Dimensional Classification Systems: A Narrative Review
by Danilo Pesic, Dusica Lecic-Tosevski, Bojana Pejuskovic, Ana Munjiza-Jovanovic and Olivera Vukovic
Brain Sci. 2026, 16(3), 326; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16030326 - 19 Mar 2026
Viewed by 335
Abstract
Recent revisions of personality disorder (PD) classifications have moved from categorical diagnoses toward dimensional models, raising renewed questions about the nosological status and clinical utility of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This narrative review traces the development of the borderline construct from early descriptions [...] Read more.
Recent revisions of personality disorder (PD) classifications have moved from categorical diagnoses toward dimensional models, raising renewed questions about the nosological status and clinical utility of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This narrative review traces the development of the borderline construct from early descriptions of patients positioned between neurosis and psychosis, through its theoretical consolidation within the concept of borderline personality organization, to the operationalization of BPD in DSM-III and subsequent diagnostic revisions. A central section summarizes contemporary controversies regarding the validity and utility of BPD features. Arguments for abandoning the diagnosis emphasize the absence of a distinct borderline factor in factor analytic studies, the tendency of the construct to capture fluctuating symptoms and patterns of behaviour rather than stable maladaptive personality traits, the stigmatizing and non-selective use of the label, and the lack of disorder-specific treatment approaches. In contrast, converging evidence supports the view that core borderline symptoms frequently function as markers of general PD pathology and of the severity of impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. The paper integrates the concept of the borderline level of personality functioning, conceptualizing borderline pathology as a dynamic dimension of dysfunction with potential transient regressions, and links this concept to the Level of Personality Functioning (LPF, Criterion A) within the DSM 5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). Retaining borderline pathology as a dimension may support contemporary PD assessment by offering a clinically recognizable marker of overall dysfunction, a guide for rating severity, an indicator of personality structure and need for psychotherapy, without disrupting continuity with an extensive clinical and research tradition. Full article
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