As many as 70 percent of BPD patients attempt suicide. The incidence of documented death by suicide is about 8 to 10 percent and even higher for borderline adolescents. A history of previous suicide attempts, a chaotic family life, and a lack of support systems increase the likelihood. The risk multiplies even more among borderline patients who also suffer from depressive or manic-depressive (bipolar) disorders, or from alcoholism or drug abuse.10,11
