This test was developed by Robert O. Friedel and is a widely used online, self-reporting tool that can help you evaluate whether someone suffers from BPD and needs psychiatric attention. The test consists of several statements in first person and the test taker has to respond to these statements by a tick or cross. More than 5 ticks indicate that the person has a high probability of suffering from BPD and needs to undergo a psychiatric evaluation for proper diagnosis and assessment. The patient might have to go for multiple visits to a clinician in case the score is high.

This is a non-invasive test that doesn’t require patient’s visit to a psychiatrist and can completed online. The test consists of a number of questions wherein the patient has to respond by answering in yes or no depending upon his behavior in different situations. Based on the responses, the patient might have to visit a psychiatrist for proper evaluation of symptoms and treatment.

Projective tests are efficient psychological tests that help in qualitative personality assessment of the individual. Since, people can respond wrongly in a self-report measure, therefore, this test is used for revealing hidden emotions. Tests like Rorschach, Holtzman Inkblot test, draw a person test and Thematic Apperception test fall into this category. These tests are conducted under the supervision of a trained psychiatrist and require at one visit to the psychiatrist. The methods are non invasive, but the psychiatrist might need a few days before s/he could interpret the responses and provide a diagnosis.

One of the best tools to diagnose BPD is to interview the patient and people close to her/him. Interviewing the patient allow the clinician to gain an idea about the behavior and actions of the patient and also helps him to develop an insight about the problem. Interviewing the patient of the family members can also help the psychiatrist know about the possible problems and structure a plan of action accordingly. At the same time, interview enables the clinician to observe the patient in different situational settings and conclude a diagnosis. The procedure is non-invasive, but lengthy and time consuming, requiring several visits to the psychiatrist.

Before a clinician can diagnose BPD, the patient must undergo a series of medical testings or a physical examination that helps the doctor to understand whether the symptoms are psychological or if they have physical manifestations. For instance, a person consuming drugs or alcohol, or an individual with seizures in the brain or hormonal disturbances may exhibit similar symptoms as in BPD. Certain tests in physical examination such as blood test are invasive but mostly physical examination is conducted on a single visit and the results are provided within a day or two.

Differential diagnosis is a psychological testing procedure wherein the patient may be asked to undergo different invasive or non-invasive procedures to know if the person is actually suffering from BPD or has some similar or related disorder(s). For instance, a person with symptoms of BPD may have to go for a differential diagnosis of bip0olar personality disorder, depression or schizophrenia as the symptoms of all these disorders overlap with symptoms of BPD. This type of testing takes a long time and requires several visits to a clinician before a proper diagnosis is done.

A qualified mental health professional can make a BPD diagnosis by incorporating observation from patient’s self-report experiences and clinician’s own observations of the patient’s thoughts, attitudes, behavior and actions. For this, the professional must follow the definitions and symptom criteria laid down by a psychological association such as Diagnostic and Statistical manual of mental disorders. The professional must make note of any frantic efforts by the patient to avoid abandonment, set of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships, problems with identity, impulsive behavior, eating disorder, suicidal tendencies, irritability, anxiety, anger. The diagnosis through this type of testing does not require use of any other test, but require multiple visits to the psychiatrist or therapist.