2 percent of adults (NIMH) ... see also overview of Borderline Personality Disorder.
approx 1 in 50 or 2.00% or 5.4 million people in USA [Source statistic for calcuation: "2 percent of adults (NIMH)" -- see also general information about data sources]
3,019 annual cases in Victora 1996 (DHS-VIC) ... see also overview of Borderline Personality Disorder.
approx 1 in 1,510 or 0.07% or 180,074 people in USA [Source statistic for calcuation: "3,019 annual cases in Victora 1996 (DHS-VIC)" -- see also general information about data sources]
180,074 per year, 15,006 per month, 3,462 per week, 493 per day, 20 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second. [Source statistic for calculation: "3,019 annual cases in Victora 1996 (DHS-VIC)" -- see also general information about data sources]
BPD is more common, affecting 2 percent of adults, mostly young women. (Source: excerpt from Borderline Personality Disorder: NIMH)
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the prevalence and/or incidence of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Delusional disorders of later life strongly suggest a hereditary predisposition. At least one study has linked the development of delusional disorders to inferiority feelings in the family. Some researchers suggest that delusional disorders are the product of specific early childhood experiences with an authoritarian family structure. Others hold that anyone with a sensitive personality is particularly vulnerable to developing a delusional disorder.
Certain medical conditions — head injury, chronic alcoholism, and deafness — and aging are known to increase the risks of delusional disorders. Predisposing factors linked to aging include isolation, lack of stimulating interpersonal relationships, physical illness, and impaired hearing and vision. In addition, severe stress (such as a move to a foreign country) may precipitate a delusional disorder.
Delusional disorders commonly begin in middle or late adulthood, usually between ages 40 and 55, but they can occur at a younger age. These uncommon illnesses affect less than 1% of the population; the incidence is about equal in men and women.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Various theories attempt to explain the origin of personality disorders. Genetic factors influence the biological basis of brain function as well as basic personality structure. In turn, personality structure affects how a person responds to life experiences and interacts with the social environment. Over time, each person develops distinctive ways of perceiving the world and of feeling, thinking, and behaving.
Some researchers suspect that poor regulation of the areas controlling emotion within the brain increases the risk of a personality disorder, especially when combined with such factors as abuse, neglect, or separation. For a biologically predisposed person, the major developmental challenges of adolescence and early adulthood may trigger a personality disorder.
Social theories hold that disorders reflect learned responses, having much to do with reinforcement, modeling, and aversive stimuli as contributing factors. According to psychodynamic theories, personality disorders reflect deficiencies in ego and superego development and are related to poor mother-child relationships characterized by unresponsiveness, overprotectiveness, or early separation.
Personality disorders are common and affect 10% to 15% of the population in the United States. Gender influences presence; for example, antisocial and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders are more common in men, whereas borderline, dependent, and histrionic personality disorders are more prevalent in women.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Borderline Personality Disorder usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Borderline Personality Disorder at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Borderline Personality Disorder refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Borderline Personality Disorder diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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