Borderline Personality Symptoms Research Articles

Intergenerational mental health effects of traumatic victimization in Nepal: A 3-D theory study

BackgroundIntergenerational transmission of trauma is a major focus of international research. Epigenetic, complex-trauma, and intergenerational abuse pattern transmission theoretical explanations all have existing empirical support. Three-D theory argues that in addition to trauma victimization severity, victimization invasiveness and exploitativeness have important independent effects. Moreover, 3-D theory claims that a positive 3-way interaction occurs between trauma victimization invasiveness, exploitativeness, and severity. This study examines the 3-D hypotheses in the context of intergenerational trauma effects on adolescent depression symptoms and suicidal ideation in generation two. Three-D theory may play a particularly important role in intergenerational trauma effects for female victims in the context of conservative South Asian sex role norms. ObjectiveTest for main effects, two-way, and three-way interaction effects of invasiveness, exploitativeness, and severity of traumatic victimization on intergenerational transmission to adolescent depression and suicidal ideation in generation two. Pathways from maternal depression and borderline personality symptoms as well as physical and sexual abuse and neglect of the adolescent child were also tested. Participantsand setting. Participants were a nationally representative, random, multi-stage cluster sample of 1089 Nepali mothers and their 15–17 year old adolescent children. MethodsRegression models with adjustments for clustering within municipality were used to test the hypotheses. ResultsOne in four Nepali adolescents had considered suicide; more than half had high depression scores. A three-way interaction effect between maternal trauma invasiveness, exploitativeness, and severity was positively associated with adolescent depression symptoms. A two-way interaction effect between exploitativeness and severity of maternal trauma was positively associated with adolescent suicidal ideation. Maternal depression, BPD symptoms, and very severe physical abuse of the adolescent were also associated with adolescent depression symptoms. ConclusionFurther research is needed to measure and investigate invasiveness, exploitativeness, and severity of traumatic victimization as they bear on intergenerational transmission of trauma. Examination of intergenerational transmission of self-concept as a potential vector is recommended.

PTSD Symptoms Among College Students: Linkages with Familial Risk, Borderline Personality, and Sexual Assault

ABSTRACT College students have high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms as well as high rates of sexual assault. What is less clear, however, is whether different sexual assault types (e.g. coercive, physically forced, and incapacitation) are associated with greater PTSD symptoms. Moreover, understanding early familial and mental health histories of college students is important for explaining PTSD symptoms. As such, we use a social stress framework to examine the relationships between early familial risk (i.e. child abuse, perceived maternal rejection), borderline personality (BP) symptoms, and three sexual assault types with PTSD symptoms among college students. A total of 783 undergraduate students (65.4% female) completed paper and pencil surveys in fall 2019 and spring 2020 at a large public university. Results revealed that females were more likely to experience child sexual abuse and all three forms of sexual assault, while males experienced higher rates of child physical abuse. OLS regression results showed positive associations between child sexual abuse, perceived maternal rejection, BP symptoms and all three types of sexual assault with PTSD symptoms. Females also experienced more PTSD symptoms compared to males. Findings have implications for targeted interventions to improve mental health outcomes.

Moderating effects of emotion regulation strategies on borderline personality symptoms in young adults with adverse childhood experiences

Moderating effects of emotion regulation strategies on borderline personality symptoms in young adults with adverse childhood experiences

Empathic accuracy of romantic partner negative affect is influenced by borderline personality symptoms.

The present study sought to examine the relation between borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms and empathic accuracy while improving on prior methodologies by using daily affect assessment in romantic partners. BPD symptoms were assessed in both members of 81 community couples who also reported on their own and their partner's negative and positive affect daily for 3 weeks. Data were analyzed using the Truth and Bias Model of Judgment, which allows the source of empathic accuracy to be parsed into partner affect (truth) and own affect (bias). Results provided evidence that individuals with higher BPD symptoms exhibited increased empathic accuracy for a partner's negative affect, particularly when partners also had higher BPD symptoms. The source of this accuracy stemmed more from bias forces than truth forces, indicating that participants' own affective states lead to more accurate judgments of partner affective state. The results suggest that this bias reduced the general tendency among participants to underestimate partner negative affect, thus leading to higher empathic accuracy. Overall, our results extend and provide support for previous research indicating that BPD symptoms are associated with heightened, not diminished, empathic accuracy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

I can't handle my desires: Development and validation of a self-report measure of desire intolerance and associations with distress intolerance.

Desire intolerance is conceptualized as a motivational counterpoint to the transdiagnostic risk factor of distress intolerance and is defined as the inability or unwillingness to "sit with" the motivation to approach a rewarding object or task. The current work describes the development and validation of a novel measure of desire intolerance. After initial item development and exploratory factor analysis (Study 1) and confirmatory factor analysis (Study 2), the 10-item unidimensional Desire Intolerance Questionnaire (DIQ) was created. Desire intolerance was conceptually related to low self-control (Studies 1-4) and both approach and avoidance motivation (Studies 2, 4, 5) and was distinct from delay of gratification (Study 3). Greater desire intolerance was also associated with higher distress intolerance (Studies 4 and 5). In Study 4, we used qualitative coding to explore what people were thinking about when they considered their "desires." Findings revealed that higher desire intolerance was associated with thinking about desired long-term outcomes more than proximal short-term hedonic pleasures. Finally, Study 4 focused on unique and independent associations between desire and distress intolerance with psychopathology, and we found that both distress intolerance were associated with heightened psychological distress and borderline personality symptoms. Only distress intolerance was uniquely associated with uncontrolled eating and self-criticism, whereas only desire intolerance was uniquely associated with aggressive behavior and dichotomous thinking. The current research supports the DIQ as a psychometrically sound indicator of difficulties withstanding desires and allows for a better understanding of intolerance as a transdiagnostic clinical phenomena. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Self-Reported Gonadal Pubertal Timing Predicts Adolescent Borderline Personality Symptoms: Two Extended Replications With Prospective and Cross-Sectional Data.

The current study investigated the understudied relationship between pubertal timing and borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms in males and females. We conducted hierarchical linear regressions in a longitudinal Cohort 1 (N = 117) and a cross-sectional Cohort 2 (N = 127). Cohort 1: Pubertal timing was self-reported at age 10; BPD symptoms and covariates were assessed between ages 13 and 19. Cohort 2: All assessments were between ages 8 and 12. Covariates: race, age, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and income-to-needs ratio. Sex differences were examined post hoc. In Cohort 1, early gonadal timing was associated with more BPD symptoms in females (beta = .46, p = .002), and late gonadal timing was associated with more BPD symptoms in males (beta = -.23, p = .035). In Cohort 2, early gonadal timing was associated with more BPD symptoms (beta = .21, p = .033) without sex moderation. Results indicate that early gonadal development could be a risk indicator for the emergence of BPD in adolescence, particularly in females, which could inform causal mechanisms and intervention targets.

Supplemental Material for Empathic Accuracy of Romantic Partner Negative Affect Is Influenced by Borderline Personality Symptoms

Supplemental Material for Empathic Accuracy of Romantic Partner Negative Affect Is Influenced by Borderline Personality Symptoms

Childhood Maltreatment History and Borderline Personality Symptoms: The Role of Mentalization Difficulties Among Vulnerable Women.

Mentalization difficulties may be one reason why individuals who experienced childhood maltreatment (CM) are at increased risk for borderline personality (BP) symptoms. The goal of this study was to identify specific aspects of mentalization associated with CM and determine their role in the short-term course of BP symptoms. A total of 253 mothers with a previous mental health diagnosis completed online surveys at three times over 9 months. A cross-lag panel model was tested to estimate reciprocal effects between mentalization measures and BP symptoms and indirect effects from CM to mentalization to BP symptoms. At baseline, women with more CM endorsed more difficulty with general mentalization, emotional clarity, and reflecting on childhood experiences. Lack of emotional clarity and disorganized responding about childhood served as indirect paths from CM to subsequent BP symptoms and showed bidirectional associations with BP symptoms over time. Thus, these may be particularly important treatment targets in this population.

Managing the risk of torsades de pointe when prescribing antipsychotic medication

Antipsychotic medications are widely prescribed by advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs), to treat a range of presentations. They are licensed for the treatment of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. They are also widely used off-license as anxiolytics, as well as to help manage presenting symptoms of borderline personality. These drugs are associated with prolonged QT interval, which is a risk factor for the ventricular tachyarrhythmia, torsades de pointes (TdP), which can lead to sudden cardiac death. Although TdP is rare, this review examines the condition and discusses the importance of assessing the physical, pharmacological and psychiatric risks prior to prescribing antipsychotic medications.

Symptoms of borderline personality and related pathologies behave as temporal and contemporaneous networks.

In contrast to latent variable models suggesting a common etiology, network theory proposes that symptoms of psychopathology co-occur because of direct, dynamic associations among them. We examined how symptoms associated with borderline personality disorder, depression, and anxiety mutually reinforce one another over time, forming a network. We further identified symptoms that drove the network by exerting the most influence on other symptoms. Participants were 37 undergraduate students aged 18 to 26. Following baseline assessment, participants were prompted to answer a Qualtrics-based survey of current symptoms of BPD, depression, and anxiety twice daily for 40 days. Multilevel time-series network analyses were conducted with (a) BPD symptoms alone and (b) BPD, depressive and anxiety symptoms. In the network of BPD symptoms, momentary interpersonal difficulties predicted later dissociation, which predicted later affective fluctuation at the within-person level. Dissociation exerted the strongest influence on the overall symptom network. When depressive and anxiety symptoms were included, the networks identified several cross-disorder connections, such as anhedonia and feeling tense, which highlight potential pathways that describe the comorbidity of BPD with anxiety and depressive syndromes. Overall, cognitive symptoms and dissociation were identified as the most influential symptoms across the networks. This study indicates that BPD, depression, and anxiety symptoms may mutually reinforce one another concurrently and over time. Cognitive symptoms exert the highest influence on the cross-disorder networks, such that they influence BPD, depressive, and anxiety symptoms. Our results support the need of targeting cognitions in the treatment of comorbid BPD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Moderating Effect of Variables Associated with Positive Mental Health in a Mediation Model on Depression among College Students: Protocol for a Longitudinal Study.

Depression is significant mental health issue among university students and can decrease their ability to succeed academically. While various factors associated with mental health problems have been identified, researchers are increasingly exploring the role of positive mental health, such as character strengths and inner strengths, in relation to mental health problems. This study aims to build upon previous research by examining the influence of positive mental health on the mediation model of depression among students enrolled at Chiang Mai University. This study will employ an observational and longitudinal study that collects data from undergraduate students at Chiang Mai University during the 2023-2024 academic year. The primary outcome of this study will be depression. In the mediation models, insecure attachment and negative family climate will serve as predictors, while borderline personality symptoms will be the mediator. Positive mental health, including character strengths, inner strengths, and resilience, will be tested for moderation effects on the mediation models. Data will be collected at three intervals, with a three-month gap between each collection period. This study will provide insights into the positive and negative mental health outcomes of university students in Chiang Mai. Through comprehensive analysis, this study intends to offer valuable insights into both positive and negative mental health outcomes among university students in Chiang Mai. Moreover, by employing a longitudinal approach, it aims to establish a more robust understanding of the causal relationships between positive mental health, predictors, mediators, and depression. The study's limitations will also be discussed.

Does trait mindfulness mediate the relationship between borderline personality symptoms and emotion dysregulation?

BackgroundEmotion dysregulation is core to many biopsychosocial models of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and is often targeted as part of their associated psychological therapies. Several distinct specialist psychotherapies are thought to be effective for people diagnosed with BPD but it is unclear whether they share common change mechanisms. Some evidence suggests that Mindfulness Based Interventions improve competency in emotion regulation as well as trait mindfulness, which are both plausibly associated with good treatment outcomes. It is unclear whether the association between the severity of BPD symptoms and emotion dysregulation is mediated by trait mindfulness. Would improvement in trait mindfulness mediate an association between lower severity of BPD symptoms and fewer problems of emotion dysregulation?MethodsOne thousand and twelve participants completed online, single time-point, self-report questionnaires.ResultsAs predicted, the severity of BPD symptoms was significantly and positively associated with emotion dysregulation with a large effect size (r = .77). Trait mindfulness mediated this relationship as the 95% confidence interval for the indirect effect did not cross zero (size of direct effect = .48 and size of indirect effect = .29 [.25, .33].ConclusionsThe relationship between the severity of BPD symptoms and emotion dysregulation was confirmed in this dataset. As hypothesised, this relationship was mediated by trait mindfulness. Process measures of emotion dysregulation and mindfulness should be included in intervention studies for people diagnosed with BPD to understand if improvements in these factors are a universal occurrence with good response to treatment. Other process measures should also be explored to identify other factors involved in the relationship between BPD symptoms and emotion dysregulation.

To feel safe inside and out: The effect of self-compassion and social safeness underlie the relationship between parental invalidation and borderline features in sexual minority adults

ABSTRACT Sexual minority (SM) individuals experience minority-related social stressors that increase their vulnerability to experience psychopathological symptoms. Invalidating environments include non-acceptance of emotional expressions, and constitute a risk factor for developing borderline personality traits. Although research suggests that self-compassion and social safeness can act as protective factors to SM people against the development of anxiety and depression, less is known about their role in borderline personality symptoms experienced by SM. This study aims to test the mediation effect of self-compassion and social safeness in the relationship between paternal and maternal invalidation and borderline traits in a sample of 132 SM individuals with aged between 18-63 years old (M = 34.3, SD = 11.4). Self-report questionnaires were completed using an online survey. Data were analysed through SPSS and PROCESS Macro. Results showed that self-compassion and social safeness mediate the relationship between both maternal and paternal invalidation and borderline traits. These seem to echo previous studies about the positive relationship between parental invalidation and borderline personality traits, and adds to it by suggesting that difficulties in experiencing self-compassion as well as in feeling socially safe are significant risk factors underlying this relationship. These results yield clinical implications for affirmative psychological interventions with SM individuals, which are fully discussed.

Modeling borderline personality symptoms based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and mentalization

Modeling borderline personality symptoms based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and mentalization

Relationship between borderline personality features, emotion regulation, and non-suicidal self-injury in depressed adolescents: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveNon-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is common among adolescents and has been linked to mental disorders and suicide in addition to physical injuries. According to the empirical avoidance model, adolescents with NSSI have stronger emotional affect and poorer emotional regulation than those without NSSI, and these constitute core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). The relationship between borderline personality features, emotional regulation, and NSSI in the population is unclear. This study explored these associations to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of NSSI in the future.MethodsDepressed adolescents (n = 1192) were evaluated using Chinese versions of the Function Assessment of Self-mutilation Scale, Emotional Regulation Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents, and Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children.ResultsThe majority of depressed adolescents (71.3%, 850/1192) had demonstrated NSSI in the past year, with cutting or scratching being the most common form (57.4%). Pearson correlation analysis with NSSI as a fixed factor (NSSI = 1, no NSSI = 2) revealed a negative correlation between NSSI and borderline personality features (r = -0.314, P < 0.01) but a positive correlation between NSSI and emotional regulation capacity (r = 0.159, P < 0.01), which was positively correlated with the expression suppression dimension (r = 0.079, p < 0.01); however, there was no significant correlation between the cognitive reappraisal dimension and expression suppression (r = 0.022, p > 0.05). The occurrence of NSSI was also positively correlated with borderline personality features in general (r = 0.314, p < 0.01). These results were statistically significant. Emotional regulation played a mediating role between borderline personality traits and NSSI in adolescents with depression (effect value = 0.151).ConclusionBorderline personality features and emotional regulation ability were significantly correlated with NSSI in depressed adolescents. Borderline personality symptoms not only directly influenced NSSI risk in adolescents with depression, but also indirectly influenced NSSI risk through emotional regulation.

Real world effectiveness of repeated ketamine infusions for treatment-resistant depression with comorbid borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has high rates of comorbidity with mood disorders, including treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Comorbidity of BPD with depression is associated with poorer response to antidepressants. Intravenous ketamine is a novel treatment for TRD that has not been specifically evaluated in patients with comorbid BPD. In this retrospective analysis of data collected from participants who received care at the Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (CRTCE; Braxia Health; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04209296), we evaluated the effectiveness of intravenous ketamine in a TRD population with comorbid BPD (N=100; n=50 BPD-positive compared with n=50 BPD-negative). Participants were administered four doses of intravenous ketamine (0.5-0.75mg/kg over 40 minutes) over two weeks. The primary outcome measures were changes in depressive symptom severity (as measured by Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology–Self Report 16-item (QIDS-SR16)) and borderline symptom severity (as measured by Borderline Symptom List 23-item (BSL-23)). Both BPD-positive and BPD-negative groups improved significantly on the QIDS-SR16, QIDS-SR16 suicide ideation item, anxiety, and functionality scales with large effect sizes. There was no significant difference between groups. The BPD-positive group exhibited significant reduction of 0.64 on BSL-23 scores and a significant reduction of 5.95 on QIDS-SR16 scores. Patients with TRD and comorbid BPD receiving ketamine exhibited a significant reduction in symptoms of depression, borderline personality, suicidality, and anxiety.

Effectiveness of dialectic-behavioral skills training based on Soler model alone and along with family education in reduction of borderline personality disorder symptoms with three months follow up

High prevalence of borderline personality disorder, high comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders, impulsive reactions necessitate psychological interventions on this group of patients. Objective : this study aimed to indicate the effect of dialectical behavior therapy individually and along with family therapy on borderline personality symptoms. Materials and methods . Eight patients were selected based on diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5), borderline personality disorder severity Index (BPDSI) and semi-structural interview (SCID-II). They divided into two groups: individual intervention and individual intervention with family education. All received Soler-based dialectical behavioral skills training (3-months) in 13 sessions of 120 minutes. In four stages, beginning of sessions, the median of treatment, end of the treatment, and three months after treatment, BPDSI questionnaire were filled and family of the second group completed McMaster questionnaire. Results . The findings of Friedman test show the effectiveness of dialectic-behavioral skills training based on Soler model as a short-term model alone and along with family education in reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder. Wilcoxon test indicate the effectiveness of this method in reducing the symptoms in post-test. Three months follow-up indicates the stability of the results with a 95% confidence level. U Mann-Whitney indicates no significant difference between two groups. Conclusion . Dialectical-behavior skills training based on the Soler model is effective in reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder and improving family function. It is recommended as a short term method to control the symptoms of borderline personality disorder and improvement the performance and communication among family members.

Modeling borderline personality symptoms based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and mentalization

Background and Aim: Borderline personality disorder is a complex and serious mental disorder that is characterized by a pervasive pattern of problems in regulating emotions and controlling impulses, and instability in interpersonal relationships and self-concept. The aim of the present study was to model borderline personality symptoms based on attachment: the mediating role of self-differentiation and mentalization. Methods: The current research is descriptive and correlational (using structural equation modeling). The statistical population studied in this research included all the female and male students of the undergraduate and postgraduate courses of Tehran Azad University who were studying in the academic year 2019-20. The sample of the present study included 370 people who were selected by purposive sampling. Data were collected using the Borderline Personality Questionnaire (Lishnernig, 1999), the Revised Close Relationships-Relationship Structure Questionnaire (Fraley, Valero Brennan, 2000), the Self-Differentiation Questionnaire of Skorn and Friedlander (1998) and the Reflective Action Scale of Fonagy et al. 2015) was obtained. In the present study, the mean, standard deviation, correlation and normality of the distribution of research variables were investigated using descriptive statistics. Also, in order to analyze the data and answer the research questions, the structural equation modeling method is used, which after confirmatory factor analysis - in the measurement model part, in the structural equation model part, the existing causal relationships between the variables are examined. In the part of the structural function model, the intensity of the causal relationships (direct, indirect and total) between the underlying variables and the amount of variance explained in the whole model is specified. SPSS and Amos version 21 software were used for this purpose. Results: The results showed that attachment (β=0.41), self-differentiation (β=0.24), and mentalization (β=0.28) have a direct effect on borderline personality symptoms (P&lt;0.001). Self-differentiation and mentalization had a mediating role in the relationship between borderline personality symptoms and attachment. Conclusion: As a result, it can be concluded that the modeling of borderline personality symptoms based on attachment with the mediating role of self-differentiation, and mentalization has a favorable fit.

Supplemental Material for Symptoms of Borderline Personality and Related Pathologies Behave as Temporal and Contemporaneous Networks

Supplemental Material for Symptoms of Borderline Personality and Related Pathologies Behave as Temporal and Contemporaneous Networks

The Mediating Role of Personality Organization in the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Borderline Personality Symptoms

The Mediating Role of Personality Organization in the Relationship between Childhood Maltreatment and Borderline Personality Symptoms