Correlates of impulsive and hostile behavior in patients with borderline personality disorder and bipolar II disorder

Abstract

Introduction: Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) suffer from a higher degree of impulsive and hostile behavior, compared with other psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, the impulsive behavior in these patients is different from the patients with type II bipolar disorder (BMD II). This study aimed to investigate the differences between patients with BPD and patients with bipolar disorder in the aggressiveness and impulsivity scales. Methods: A descriptive-analytical study through a convenience sampling method was conducted on 117 patients with BPD (30 patients) and BMD II (87 patients) who completed the Buss and Perry’s Aggression Questionnaire as well as the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. The obtained data was analyzed in SPSS using Student’s t-test, and its results were considered significant at P < 0.05 level. Results: The two groups were significantly different in terms of attention and cognitive complexity of Barratt Impulsiveness Scales, hostility, physical aggression, as well as in the total score of Buss and Perry’s aggression and hostility questionnaire, in which the scores in patients with BMD in the above-mentioned scales were higher, compared with the BPD and finally, the marital status variable was significantly correlated with age, physical aggression, anger, anxiety, cognitive complexity, and perseverance.Conclusion: The patients with BMD II experienced a higher degree of excitement in terms of hostility, violence and impulsivity measures; it is also different from the patients with borderline disorder in terms of type of aggressiveness.

Keywords: Hostility, Aggression, Impulsivity, Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality