The McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD) is a 10-item measure used in screening for borderline personality. This measure was developed as a very brief paper-and-pencil test to detect possible BPD in people who are seeking treatment or who have a history of treatment.
Description
The MSI-BPD was developed by Dr. Mary Zanarini and colleagues at McLean Hospital. The test consists of 10 items that are based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for borderline personality disorder. The first eight items of the MSI-BPD represent the first eight DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for BPD, while the last two items assess the final DSM-IV criterion (i.e., the paranoia/dissociation criterion).
Scoring
Each item is rated as a "1" if it is present and a "0" if it is absent, and items are totaled for possible scores ranging from 0 to 10. A score of 7 has been determined to be a good diagnostic cut-off (meaning that a score of 7 or higher indicates that an individual is likely to meet criteria for borderline personality).
Uses
The MSI-BPD is a useful tool for detecting individuals who may have borderline personality features. It has not been tested in community samples, so it is not known whether it is good at detecting BPD in the general population. However, it has shown to be very effective in detecting possible BPD in people who are seeking treatment or who have a history of treatment for mental health problems.
Psychometric Properties
The MSI-BPD has demonstrated good psychometric properties. It has adequate internal consistency and good test-retest reliability. It has also demonstrated good sensitivity and specificity for detecting borderline personality disorder when a score of 7 is used as a diagnostic cut-off.
Source:
Zanarini MC, Vujanovic AA, Parachini EA, Boulanger JL, Frankenburg FR, Hennen J. "A Screening Measure for BPD: The McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD)." Journal of Personality Disorders 17(6):568-573, 2003.
