Because of their pervasiveness and comorbidity, bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder represent a broad field of interest for scientific research. Several studies have pointed out that there are positive correlations: affective instability and impulsive behaviour could represent shared characteristics. To understand the relationship between the two disorders fully, the authors underline the importance of recovering the concept of affective temperament and the psychodynamic approach. Finally, we consider the effects of early traumatic experience.
Keywords: bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, continuum, abuse, trauma