The British Journal of Psychiatry 158: 205-212 (1991)
© 1991 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
Borderline and schizotypal disorders in children and adolescents
M Meijer and PD Treffers
State University of Leyden, The Netherlands.
Until recently, research on borderline disorder in children has sought the
common denominator of the symptoms. In recent years there have been
attempts to circumscribe the definition with the help of DSM-III criteria
and the DIB. This approach appears fruitful. The scanty data on schizotypal
children suggest that the validity of this diagnosis in childhood should be
investigated. In adolescence it is possible to discern those with
borderline and schizotypal disorders whose symptoms meet both DIB and
DSM-III-R criteria respectively. No data exist, however, concerning the
predictive validity of such disorders in adolescents. Classification on an
empirical basis is advocated in order to refine the diagnosis of these and
related disorders in children and adolescents.