In order to examine the role of life events in the clinical presentation of borderline personality disorder, the Life Experience Survey was given to three groups of subjects; one consisting of patients suffering from borderline personality disorder and two consisting of control subjects for the purpose of comparison. The results showed that patients suffering from borderline personality disorder did not experience a greater number of life events, but those life events that they did report were related to their psycho-pathology, which were, in turn, associated with the break-ups of important relationships or with effects of impulsive actions.
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