Childbearing and mortality among women with personality disorders: nationwide registered-based cohort study

BACKGROUND: People with a personality disorder have a higher mortality and reduced life expectancy than the general population. Childbearing is thought to have a protective effect on morbidity and mortality. Yet, there are no studies on whether childbearing is related to a lower mortality among women with personality disorder. AIMS: This study examined associations between childbearing and mortality among women with personality disorder. Our hypothesis was that parity would be associated with lower mortality. METHOD: This register-based cohort study included 27 412 women treated for personality disorder in in-patient or specialised out-patient care between 1990 and 2015. We used nationwide population-based registers to obtain information on sociodemographics, child delivery, healthcare use and mortality. Mortality risk estimates were calculated as hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs using Cox regression. Adjustments were made for year of birth, educational level, age at diagnosis, comorbidity and severity of personality disorder. RESULTS: Nulliparous women had a nearly twofold increased mortality risk (adjusted HR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.50–2.12) compared with parous women and over twofold mortality risk (adjusted HR = 2.29, 95% CI 1.72–3.04) compared with those giving birth after their first personality disorder diagnosis. Those giving birth before their first personality disorder diagnosis had a 1.5-fold higher risk of mortality than those giving birth after their first personality disorder diagnosis (adjusted HR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.06–2.07). There was a threefold risk of suicide in nulliparous women compared with those giving birth after their first personality disorder diagnosis (adjusted HR = 2.90, 95% CI 1.97–4.26). CONCLUSIONS: Childbearing history should be an integral part of the clinical evaluation of women with personality disorder.