Borderline Personality Disorder in New parents

Key things to know What the evidence shows
How common is it? Not established all new parents; perinatal maternal BPD 0.7–1.7% nonclinical
Is it more common among new parents? Perinatal transition is especially relevant for existing BPD
Are new parents at higher risk? Strong functional/course interaction
How much higher is the risk? Clinical perinatal populations: 14% pooled BPD, but highly selected
How often can it be missed? Very high
Does it show up differently among new parents? Strong Yes contextually
How might it look different? Infant crying, sleep deprivation, perceived parenting failure, relationship changes and reduced support can intensify emotional dysregulation
What commonly occurs alongside it? Depression; PTSD; anxiety
What can it be confused with? Postpartum depression; bipolar disorder; PTSD; postpartum psychosis
Common screening tool MSI-BPD
Separate screening tool for new parents None
1 of 14