Screening for BPD is an important consideration since borderline personality disorder is a significant public health problem and the lag time between the initial treatment sought and the correct diagnosis is often more than 10 years.
Because BPD is associated with high rates of self-harm, suicide attempts, and death by suicide in adults and adolescents, screening and assessment for BPD is an important clinical intervention.
The McLean Screening Instrument for BPD was developed in 2008 by Mary Zanarini of the renowned McClean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts.
The MSI-BPD is based on a subset of questions from the DSM-IV borderline module and is well-validated. The ten items in the MSI-BPD are written such that a positive response indicates the presence of BPD symptoms. Each of the ten statements is rated on a dichotomous scale, with "1" corresponding to “present” and "0" corresponding to “absent.”
Scoring and Interpretation
The total score ranges from 0 to 10. Scores equal to or greater than 7 indicate the presence of BPD. If the client scores a 5 or 6, then further evaluation for BPD is recommended. Scores of 4 or less indicate the level of symptoms are not consistent with BPD.
For more information on the MSI-BPD please visit the McClean Psychiatric Hospital Website
