KR
Educational use only. The MSI-BPD is a screening instrument, not a diagnostic one. Only a licensed clinician with a full history can diagnose Borderline Personality Disorder. If you are in crisis, please contact a licensed therapist or, if there is risk, a crisis line.
10 yes/no items. The screen the field actually uses.
Ten yes/no items, each mapped to one of the nine DSM-5 criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder. The instrument McLean Hospital’s research group built and validated. Cutoff ≥7 = likely BPD per the validation study (81% sensitivity, 85% specificity).
Free. The full tier read returned.
Borderline Personality Disorder pattern
BPD is one of the most stigmatised, most often-misdiagnosed personality disorders. The cultural shorthand “BPD = difficult woman” is not what the diagnosis actually describes clinically; the literature describes a configuration of affective instability, identity uncertainty, intense relationships, impulsivity in multiple domains, and (often) self-harm or suicidality. The suffering, where it’s there, is real.
The MSI-BPD is the most widely cited brief screening instrument. It maps directly to the DSM-5 BPD criteria and was designed for the contemplation stage, when someone wants to know whether the pattern they suspect in themselves is registering at the level the field takes seriously, before booking with a clinician.
BPD is also one of the most treatable Cluster B disorders when treated correctly (DBT, MBT, TFP, schema therapy). The cultural pessimism around the diagnosis is not supported by the outcome literature.
Source instrument: Zanarini, M. C., Vujanovic, A. A., Parachini, E. A., Boulanger, J. L., Frankenburg, F. R., & Hennen, J. (2003). A screening measure for BPD: the McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD). Journal of Personality Disorders, 17(6), 568-573.
Kanika Rose · Diagnosed ASPD · Author
I do not have BPD; my own diagnosis is on a different axis (ASPD). What I can offer here is items reproduced exactly from Zanarini’s validated screen, scoring that follows the published cutoff exactly, and tier profiles that take the construct seriously without leaning into the cultural stigma the diagnosis carries. The voice of the result page is mine; the instrument is Zanarini’s.
BPD is a serious diagnosis with serious treatment options. If your score is high, please see a clinician with specific BPD experience, not a generalist. The pattern is shiftable, more so than most Cluster B configurations, when treated by someone trained for it.
BPD is one of six Cluster B types the Dark Mirror profiles. The wide map: take this if you want to see how BPD traits sit in the broader personality landscape, including the differential against HPD and NPD.
BPD and ASPD/Psychopathy show high comorbidity in the literature, particularly via the Secondary (impulsive) subscale. If your BPD score was high, the LSRP read is informative.
BPD has a known relationship with childhood emotional invalidation; many women with BPD configurations had narcissistic mothers. The Daughter Pattern is the assessment for that household-level question.
The chapter on the BPD pattern in relationships covers both sides, what it's like to date someone with BPD, and what it's like to be the one with BPD trying to date.
Educational and reflective use only. The MSI-BPD is a screening instrument, not a diagnostic one. Only a licensed clinician with a full history can diagnose Borderline Personality Disorder. BPD is one of the most often-misdiagnosed personality disorders; if your score raised concerns, please see a clinician with specific BPD experience rather than acting on the score alone. If you are in crisis, contact a licensed therapist or, if there is risk to yourself, a crisis line.