Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41862841›Full record

Observational studyBMC psychiatry2026

Treatment trajectories of patients with borderline personality disorder prescribed pharmacotherapy: real-world insights from a retrospective observational study.

Carissa White, Suzanne St Rose, Jennifer B Dwyer, Emily O C Palmer, Joannas Yeow, Kira Griffiths, Benjamin Chee, Mayowa Oyesanya, Rashmi Patel

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Carissa WhiteBoehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, USA. carissa.dukes@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Suzanne St RoseBoehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Binger Strasse 173, 55216, Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany.
Jennifer B DwyerBoehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Ridgefield, CT, USA.
Emily O C PalmerHolmusk Technologies, Inc., London, UK.
Joannas YeowHolmusk Technologies, Inc., Singapore, Singapore.
Kira GriffithsHolmusk Technologies, Inc., London, UK.
Benjamin CheeHolmusk Technologies, Inc., Singapore, Singapore.
Mayowa OyesanyaHolmusk Technologies, Inc., London, UK.
Rashmi PatelDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/S003118/1NIHR National Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR301690
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is a significant cause of morbidity with no approved pharmacological treatment. We assessed treatment trajectories of patients with BPD in real-world clinical practice to help identify treatment gaps.

methodsThis retrospective, observational, cohort study used de-identified MindLinc electronic health records data from the Holmusk NeuroBlu database (Version 21R2) to analyse the treatment journey of patients with BPD (aged ≥ 12 years with ≥1 diagnosis of BPD) that were prescribed pharmacological treatment within 14 days of diagnosis (baseline) and had treatment data for ≥12 months.

resultsOf those prescribed pharmacological treatment at baseline, 1461 patients (16.1%) had 12 months of follow-up data. Antidepressants were the most frequently prescribed medication at baseline (80.4%) either alone or in combination with other medication classes, followed by second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs), anxiolytics and mood stabilisers. In the 12 months post-baseline, the most frequently recorded treatment pathway was a switch from 1 antidepressant to another. Sertraline (5.5%), fluoxetine (5%), and citalopram (5%) were the most-prescribed antidepressants; lamotrigine (24.9%), gabapentin (15.4%), and valproate (7.1%) were the most prescribed mood stabilisers; and quetiapine (22.1%) and aripiprazole (19.0%) were the most prescribed SGAs. Polypharmacy (defined as the prescription of ≥ 1 psychotropic medication) was observed in 83.1% of patients at baseline and increased with follow-up time and age.

conclusionThe high rates of polypharmacy observed suggest that current clinical practices may not fully align with treatment guidelines for BPD, and that patients with BPD experience a considerable treatment burden. Limitations of this study include the absence of psychotherapy data and the use of prescription records without information on treatment adherence. Nonetheless, the diversity of treatment patterns observed reflects the complex symptomatology of BPD and highlights the need to deepen our understanding of its neurobiology to improve pharmacological treatment strategies and translate to meaningful patient outcomes. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.

Indexed as

Anti-Anxiety AgentsAntidepressive AgentsAntipsychotic AgentsBorderline Personality DisorderAdolescentAdultDrug Therapy, CombinationFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesYoung AdultAnti-Anxiety AgentsAntidepressive AgentsAntipsychotic AgentsAntidepressantBorderline personality disorderMood stabilisersPolypharmacySecond-generation antipsychotics

Identifiers

PMID41862841
PMCPMC13127037

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.