(1) Background: The peripartum period increases vulnerability to mental disorders. Data from specialized psychiatric settings in Southeast Europe remain limited. This study assessed prevalence and distribution of perinatal mental health disorders, diagnostic changes, hospitalizations, obstetric complications, and breastfeeding among women treated at the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Unit in Belgrade, Serbia. (2) Methods: Retrospective review of medical records from 287 patients (2015–2024), including socio-demographics, ICD-10 diagnoses, hospitalizations, obstetric complications, and breastfeeding data. (3) Results: Mean age was 33.1 ± 5.6 years. Mood disorders (F30–F39) were most common (39.6% before, 42.2% during, 32.1% after pregnancy), followed by neurotic and stress-related disorders (F40–F48). Postpartum F50–F59 diagnoses (especially F53) rose significantly (p < 0.001). Hospitalizations peaked before pregnancy (35.2%) and were rare during pregnancy (3.1%) and postpartum (0.3%). Leading obstetric complications were emergency cesarean (1.9%) and fetal loss (1.4%). Only 41.3% of women with data breastfed (mean 4.7 months). (4) Conclusions: Mood disorders predominate in specialized perinatal care. Results highlight the need for sys-tematic screening, specialized outpatient services, and multidisciplinary support to improve outcomes for women in Serbia.

Involuntary hospitalization represents the most delicate decision in psychiatric practice. As a protective measure it is indicated in situations where persons’ mental state is so severely impaired that they are unable to realistically assess their condition, thereby endangering their own life or the lives of others. Although it is essentially a protective measure, abuses are possible, and preventing potential them is a matter of joint study by psychiatry, law, and ethics. Data indicate the existence of significant variations in the frequency of involuntary hospitalizations across different regions of the world that are primarily attributed to varying legal procedures. It is always important to keep in mind that involuntary hospitalization carries the risk of stigmatizing patients. Moreover, stigma-related stress has negative effect on the recovery of patients. In order to decrease involuntary hospitalization humanization and individualization of treatment, as well as person-centered psychiatry should be applied in psychiatric services. Education on how to improve compliance and adherence with patients as well as on psychopharmacology and the use of the best treatment options are additional tools for that cause.

(1) Background: Women in the peripartum period are at increased vulnerability to the development or worsening of mental disorders. However, data from specialized psychiatric settings in Southeast Europe on this topic remain limited. In this study, we assessed the distribution of perinatal mental health disorders, diagnostic changes, hospitalizations, obstetric complications, and breastfeeding among women treated at the Perinatal and Reproductive Psychiatry Unit in Belgrade, Serbia. (2) Methods: A retrospective review of medical records from 287 patients (2015–2024), including sociodemographics, ICD-10 diagnoses, hospitalizations, obstetric complications, and breastfeeding data, was performed. (3) Results: The mean age of the women in this cohort was 33.1 ± 5.6 years. Mood disorders (F30–F39) were most common (39.6% before, 42.2% during, and 32.1% after pregnancy), followed by neurotic and stress-related disorders (F40–F48). Postpartum F50–F59 diagnoses (especially mental and behavioral disorders associated with the puerperium, not elsewhere classified—F53) rose significantly (p < 0.001). Overall, 38.7% of patients had at least one psychiatric hospitalization; hospitalization was recorded before pregnancy in 30.0%, during pregnancy in 5.9%, and postpartum in 6.6%, with overlap between periods. Leading obstetric complications were emergency cesarean (1.0%) and fetal loss (1.4%). Only 41.3% of the women whose data were available breastfed (mean 4.7 months). (4) Conclusions: Mood disorders predominate in specialized psychiatric perinatal care. The results of this study indicate the frequency of perinatal mental disorders and the need for both outpatient and inpatient treatment. It is, therefore, essential to continue developing mental health care systems for women in Serbia and to provide ongoing education for health professionals in order to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment of pregnant and postpartum women.

Recent revisions of personality disorder (PD) classifications have moved from categorical diagnoses toward dimensional models, raising renewed questions about the nosological status and clinical utility of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This narrative review traces the development of the borderline construct from early descriptions of patients positioned between neurosis and psychosis, through its theoretical consolidation within the concept of borderline personality organization, to the operationalization of BPD in DSM-III and subsequent diagnostic revisions. A central section summarizes contemporary controversies regarding the validity and utility of BPD features. Arguments for abandoning the diagnosis emphasize the absence of a distinct borderline factor in factor analytic studies, the tendency of the construct to capture fluctuating symptoms and patterns of behaviour rather than stable maladaptive personality traits, the stigmatizing and non-selective use of the label, and the lack of disorder-specific treatment approaches. In contrast, converging evidence supports the view that core borderline symptoms frequently function as markers of general PD pathology and of the severity of impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. The paper integrates the concept of the borderline level of personality functioning, conceptualizing borderline pathology as a dynamic dimension of dysfunction with potential transient regressions, and links this concept to the Level of Personality Functioning (LPF, Criterion A) within the DSM 5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). Retaining borderline pathology as a dimension may support contemporary PD assessment by offering a clinically recognizable marker of overall dysfunction, a guide for rating severity, an indicator of personality structure and need for psychotherapy, without disrupting continuity with an extensive clinical and research tradition.

Recent revisions of personality disorders (PD) classifications have moved from categorical diagnoses toward dimensional models, raising renewed questions about the nosological status and clinical utility of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This narrative review traces the development of the borderline construct from early descriptions of patients positioned between neurosis and psychosis, through its theoretical consolidation within the concept of borderline personality organization, to the operationalization of BPD in DSM III and subsequent diagnostic revisions. A central section summarizes contemporary controversies regarding the validity and utility of BPD features. Arguments for abandoning the diagnosis emphasize the absence of a distinct borderline factor in factor analytic studies, the tendency of the construct to capture fluctuating symptoms and patterns of behaviour rather than stable maladaptive personality traits, the stigmatizing and non selective use of the label, and the lack of disorder specific treatment approaches. In contrast, converging evidence supports the view that core borderline symptoms frequently function as markers of general PD pathology and of the severity of impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. The paper integrates the regional tradition of the borderline level of personality functioning, conceptualizing borderline pathology as a dynamic dimension of dysfunction with potential transient regressions, and links this concept to the Level of Personality Functioning (LPF, Criterion A) within the DSM 5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD). Retaining borderline pathology as a dimension may support contemporary PD assessment by offering a clinically recognizable marker of overall dysfunction, a guide for rating severity, an indicator of personality structure and need for psychotherapy, without disrupting continuity with an extensive clinical and research tradition.