scholarly journals Alterations of empathy in mothers with a history of early life maltreatment, depression, and borderline personality disorder and their effects on child psychopathology

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (7) ◽  
pp. 1182-1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Dittrich ◽  
Felix Bermpohl ◽  
Dorothea Kluczniok ◽  
Catherine Hindi Attar ◽  
Charlotte Jaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Child Behavior Checklist ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Personal Distress

AbstractBackgroundEarly life maltreatment (ELM), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been associated with empathy deficits in different domains. Lack of maternal empathy has also been related to child behavioral problems. As ELM, BPD, and MDD often co-occur, we aimed to identify dissociable effects on empathy due to these three factors. In addition, we aimed to investigate their indirect effects via empathy on child psychopathology.MethodsWe included 251 mothers with and without MDD (in remission), BPD and ELM and their children, aged 5–12. We used the Interpersonal Reactivity Index as a measure of empathy on four different dimensions (personal distress, empathic concern, perspective taking, and fantasy) and the Child Behavior Checklist as a measure of child psychopathology.ResultsHaving included all three factors (ELM, MDD, BPD) in one analysis, we found elevated personal distress in MDD and BPD, and lower levels of perspective-taking in BPD, but no effects from ELM on any empathy subscales. Furthermore, we found indirect effects from maternal BPD and MDD on child psychopathology, via maternal personal distress.ConclusionThe present study demonstrated the dissociable effects of maternal ELM, MDD, and BPD on empathy. Elevated personal distress in mothers with BPD and MDD may lead to higher levels of child psychopathology.

scholarly journals Child abuse potential in mothers with early life maltreatment, borderline personality disorder and depression

2018 ◽  
Vol 213 (1) ◽  
pp. 412-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Dittrich ◽  
Katja Boedeker ◽  
Dorothea Kluczniok ◽  
Charlotte Jaite ◽  
Catherine Hindi Attar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Abuse ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Child Psychopathology ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Abuse Potential ◽  
History Of

BackgroundEarly life maltreatment (ELM), borderline personality disorder (BPD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) have been shown to increase the potential of abuse. Emotion regulation is an identified mediator for the association of ELM and BPD with abuse potential. Until now, there has been no study to account for the co-occurrence of these risk factors in one analysis, although BPD and MDD are known as common sequelae of ELM. This is paired with a lack of studies investigating the effects of abuse potential on child well-being.AimsOur study aims at (a) disentangling the effects of maternal ELM, MDD and BPD on abuse potential; (b) exploring the role of emotion regulation as a mediator; and (c) testing for intergenerational effects of abuse potential on child psychopathology.MethodThe research design included 114 mothers with/without ELM, BPD and MDD in remission and their children, all of which were between 5 and 12 years of age. A path analysis was conducted to investigate the multiple associations between our variables.ResultsELM, MDD and BPD were all associated with abuse potential, with emotion regulation acting as a mediator for BPD and MDD. Furthermore, an elevated abuse potential was related to higher psychopathology in the child.ConclusionsHistory of ELM as well as the common sequelae, BPD and MDD, pose risks for child abuse. Our findings suggest improvement of emotion regulation as a potential target for intervention programs. These programs should also aim at non-substantiated cases because even an elevated abuse potential affected child mental health.Declaration of interestNone.

Relations of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder Features With Preschooler Executive Functioning and Theory of Mind

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 565-576 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen Zalewski ◽  
Nicole Musser ◽  
Grace Binion ◽  
Jennifer K. Lewis ◽  
Jacqueline R. O'Brien
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Risk Group ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
High Risk Group ◽  
Child Age

Although children of mothers who have elevated borderline personality disorder (BPD) features are a high-risk group, there remains little research examining developmental mechanisms that place these offspring at risk for emerging psychopathology. The current study included 68 mother–preschooler dyads, in which mothers with elevated BPD features were oversampled. Preschoolers (aged 3 and 4 years) completed a battery of executive functioning (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) measures. Accounting for several covariates (family income, maternal depression, child age, and child cognitive ability), maternal BPD features were associated with preschoolers' poorer EF and, although not associated with the overall ToM measure, were associated with affect perspective taking, a component of ToM.

Personality Disorder and Self-wounding

1992 ◽  
Vol 161 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Digby Tantam ◽  
Jane Whittaker
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Psychological Treatment ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Hospital Treatment ◽  
Personal Distress ◽  
History Of ◽  
Social Treatment ◽  
Self Harm ◽  
Psychological Management

At least 1 in 600 adults wound themselves sufficiently to need hospital treatment. More men than women do it, although more women receive psychological treatment. Many have a history of sexual or physical abuse. Self-wounding differs from other self-harm in being aimed neither at mutilation nor at death. Self-wounding coerces others and relieves personal distress. Repeated self-wounding is one criterion of borderline personality disorder but we prefer to consider it an ‘addictive’ behaviour rather than an expression of a wider disorder. Psychological management may need to be augmented by drug or social treatment. Carers, including professional carers, usually need help to contain the turbulence that self-wounding produces.

Early Life Adversity Modulation of Central Autonomic Network During Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. S165-S166
Author(s):  
Agustina Wainsztein ◽  
Mariana N. Castro ◽  
Ximena Goldberg ◽  
Camacho Vicente ◽  
Alvarez Mercé Rocío ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Central Autonomic Network

scholarly journals Neural correlates of fears of abandonment and rejection in borderline personality disorder

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana Romaniuk ◽  
Merrick Pope ◽  
Katie Nicol ◽  
Douglas Steele ◽  
Jeremy Hall
Keyword(s):  
Reinforcement Learning ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Brain Function ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Symptom Status ◽  
Fear Of Abandonment

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a prevalent and disabling psychiatric condition commonly associated with early life adversity. Social difficulties are a prominent symptom of BPD, particularly a fear of abandonment and rejection. There has recently been a growing interest in the neural basis of these social symptoms and their relationship to early experience.  Methods: In the current study, we examined social brain function and learning in BPD using functional MRI. Participants with BPD (n=20) and healthy controls (n=16) completed a computerized parametric social exclusion task (the “Cyberball” task). Brain activation was compared between groups and related to social symptom status and experiences of childhood trauma. Additional analyses were conducted using a reinforcement learning model treating social inclusion as a rewarding event.  Results: Participants with BPD demonstrated a group effect of decreased right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activation (p < 0.013, FWE-corrected). Increased fear of abandonment in BPD was associated with reduced inclusion-related activation of the inferior frontal gyrus (p = 0.003, FWE-corrected). Across all participants, TPJ inclusion-related activation was modified by prior experience of childhood physical neglect (p < 0.001, FWE-corrected). Reinforcement learning modelling revealed decreased midbrain responses to social inclusion in BPD participants (p = 0.028, FWE-corrected within midbrain mask), with decreased anticipatory midbrain activation in anticipation of social inclusion specifically associated with fears of abandonment (p = 0.019, FWE-corrected within a midbrain mask).  Conclusions: The findings demonstrate alterations in social brain function and social reinforcement learning in BPD, which are influenced by both early life experience and symptom status.

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