Lamotrigine for Treating Depression in Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Background: Borderline personality disorder is critical and heterogeneous illness specified by mood lability, unstable mutual relationships, distorted self-identity and impulsive behavior. There might be wild resentment and sadness, as associated with severe consequences of psychosocial dissolution and mortality related suicide ventures. Objective: The current study intended to determine the efficacy of Lamotrigine for treating depression in patients with borderline personality disorder. Study Design: Descriptive case series design. Settings: Department of Psychiatry, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Jinnah Hospital, Lahore Pakistan. Duration: From 1^st August 2021 to 1^st August 2022. Methods: A sample of 200 participants, between the age range of 18-35 years, with significant depression and borderline personality disorder diagnosis, was recruited by using purposive sampling technique. Depression was diagnosed and rated by Beck Depression inventory (BDI) while borderline personality disorder was diagnosed according to DSM-5 criteria. Patients were started on 25mg Lamotrigine one tablet at night on daily basis and were increased to 200mg maximum in a day in divided doses, depending upon patients’ response. Post assessment was conducted after 8 weeks. Results: The paired sample t-test reveals a significant difference in pre and post treatment assessment in the depression scores (p=.001); patients’ ratings in post assessment showed a marked decrease in depression, after taking Lamotrigine for 8 weeks. Independent sample t-test indicated no significant differences in the recovery rate of patients diagnosed with moderate depression and severe depression. Data was stratified for age, gender and educational status; on performing Chi square test, a significant difference was seen in pre and post ratings of depression, with regard to the age and gender. However, results were non-significant for educational status. Conclusion: This can help in raising awareness among the treating psychiatrists regarding the use of Lamotrigine at earlier presentations so that further morbidity and health care cost associated with this condition can be decreased by provision of a drug that shows promising results.