Exploring psychotic experiences in borderline versus schizophrenic patients through a quali-quantitative method: The role of situational dysphoria

Psychotic symptoms in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are common, distressing, and challenging to treat. Yet, little is known about their specific characteristics. The objective of this study was to investigate psychotic experiences in borderline patients comparing them with those of psychotic patients and paying particular attention to the role of dysphoria. Two groups of adult psychiatric patients (aged 18-65 years), one with BPD and the other with schizophrenia, were administered a questionnaire assessing the presence and phenomenology of psychotic experiences (QPE), together with self-reports measuring other dimensions. Results showed that BPD patients had more heterogeneous hallucinations in terms of sensory modality, higher prevalence but lower severity of paranoid delusions, and, especially, a higher degree of situational dysphoria particularly triggered by recent interpersonal events. This suggests that psychotic symptoms in borderline patients begin to show a specific psychopathological profile, which deserves more attention from the scientific community.