Abstract

VALDIVIA PAREJA, Álvaro Eduardo. Existencial emptiness and suicidal risk in borderline personality patients. Persona (Lima) [online]. 2007, n.10, pp. 179-197. ISSN 1560-6139.

Existencial emptiness and suicidal risk in borderline personality patients The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics that borderline personality disorder patients show in existential emptiness and suicidal risk. The instruments used were the Purpose in Life Test (PIL), Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and the borderline Personality Disorder Diagnosis Protocole. The nonprobabilistic sample consisted of 42 participants, 32 females and 10 males, whom, at the time of the study, were assisting to the Psychology and Diagnosis Service of a National Psychiatric Hospital of Lima. The method was descriptive, with a comparative-descriptive design. The results show that the PIL and SIS scales prove to have adequate reliability and construct validity.

Keywords : Existential emptiness; Suicidal risk; Borderline personality.