ABSTRACT
Personality disorders can be diagnosed in adolescence. However, specific Axis II categories are not necessarily stable over time. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) typically begins in adolescence. A number of lines of evidence support the validity of the diagnosis in this age group. The precursors of BPD are not established but could involve a combination of externalizing and internalizing symptoms. While the outcome of adolescent BPD is variable, making this diagnosis helps in the development of treatment plans that go beyond target symptoms and take chronicity into account.
