6.135 EVALUATION OF BORDERLINE FEATURES IN YOUTH WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

Objectives: Emotion dysregulation is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Previous literature suggests that BPD exacerbates the clinical severity and outcome of bipolar disorder (BD) in adolescents. Indeed, bipolar adolescents with borderline features have a higher burden ofmood symptoms and functional impairment. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilize the Borderline Personality Features Scale (BPFS) to evaluate whether borderline features and bipolar symptoms are related in children and adolescents. Methods: Thirty participants (7-17 years inclusive; mean age 12.95= 3.08) were enrolled from an outpatient specialty mood disorders clinic. Participants met DSM-IV-TR criteria for BD-I and II, and the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth criteria for Bipolar Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified. The BPFS is a 24-item self-report scale validated for use in children as young as 9 years. BPD features and bipolar symptoms were reported by youth and parents or guardians. Multivariable linear regression analyses examined associations between (total and subscale) scores and various psychopathology-related predictor variables, while adjusting for age, race, primary BD diagnosis and the interval between completion of the BPFS and other predictor variables. Results: BPFS child total score positively correlated with QIDS child total score (β=1.54, p=0.03). BPFS child negative relationship subscale positively correlated with QIDS child total score (β=0.50, p=0.02). Positive correlation was observed between the BPFS parent negative relationship subscale and QIDS parent total score (β=0.48, p=0.05). Furthermore, the BPFS parent negative relationship subscale positively correlated with QIDS parent irritability subscale (β=2.68, p=0.03). Conclusions: These are preliminary results in a small sample size. However, they highlight the importance of the high likelihood of the emergence of borderline features in bipolar youth with depression and irritability. This is clinically significant as interventions can then be strategically targeted towards bipolar youth with comorbid borderline psychopathology. Future longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are required to assess the clinical characteristics of which bipolar youth will go on to develop borderline personality disorder.