Optimizing emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder: why and when strategies do and do not work

Mindful Awareness ◽

This dissertation aimed to delineate ways to optimize emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD) by 1) identifying factors that influence general emotion regulation effectiveness and 2) examining whether these factors predict differential effectiveness of two classes of emotion regulation strategies: engagement (i.e., engaging with emotional content) versus disengagement (i.e., shifting attention away from emotional content) strategies. Factors that occur before (i.e., antecedent-focused) and after (i.e., response-focused) emotion provocation were examined. Specifically, four predictors of general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness were identified: antecedent-focused sleep quality (impaired sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality), antecedent-focused biology (basal vagal tone), antecedent-focused emotion (baseline emotional intensity), and response-focused emotion (emotional reactivity). Secondary analyses also investigated whether the relationships of these factors to general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness varied across BPD and healthy control (HC) groups. A sample of individuals with BPD (n = 40) and matched HCs (n = 40) completed a weeklong assessment of sleep efficiency and quality and then participated in an experimental procedure. First, basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity data were collected. Following, participants were trained to use two BPD-relevant emotion regulation strategies, mindful awareness (engagement strategy) and distraction (disengagement strategy), in response to negative emotion inductions. Emotional reactivity in response to the inductions, and the extent to which emotion was decreased using the strategies following the inductions (i.e., emotion regulation effectiveness), was examined. Emotion was measured comprehensively across self-report, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and behavioural/expressive domains. Results indicated that sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality predicted differential emotion regulation effectiveness as they improved distraction but not mindful awareness effectiveness across groups. As well, higher basal vagal tone and emotional reactivity predicted improved emotion regulation effectiveness across strategies and groups. Findings suggest that targeting sleep quality may specifically facilitate the attention mechanisms required for effective use of distraction in BPD. They also suggest that identifying ways to increase vagal tone may potentiate the emotion regulation capacity of individuals with BPD. Finally, results indicate that high emotional reactions may not necessarily be problematic and, in fact, may mark a particularly fluid emotional system that is responsive to emotion regulation attempts.

Optimizing Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder: Why and When Strategies Do and Do Not Work

10.32920/ryerson.14665926.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Skyler Fitzpatrick

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Vagal Tone ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Sleep Efficiency ◽

Emotional Intensity ◽

Mindful Awareness ◽

This dissertation aimed to delineate ways to optimize emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD) by 1) identifying factors that influence general emotion regulation effectiveness and 2) examining whether these factors predict differential effectiveness of two classes of emotion regulation strategies: engagement (i.e., engaging with emotional content) versus disengagement (i.e., shifting attention away from emotional content) strategies. Factors that occur before (i.e., antecedent-focused) and after (i.e., response-focused) emotion provocation were examined. Specifically, four predictors of general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness were identified: antecedent-focused sleep quality (impaired sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality), antecedent-focused biology (basal vagal tone), antecedent-focused emotion (baseline emotional intensity), and response-focused emotion (emotional reactivity). Secondary analyses also investigated whether the relationships of these factors to general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness varied across BPD and healthy control (HC) groups. A sample of individuals with BPD (n = 40) and matched HCs (n = 40) completed a weeklong assessment of sleep efficiency and quality and then participated in an experimental procedure. First, basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity data were collected. Following, participants were trained to use two BPD-relevant emotion regulation strategies, mindful awareness (engagement strategy) and distraction (disengagement strategy), in response to negative emotion inductions. Emotional reactivity in response to the inductions, and the extent to which emotion was decreased using the strategies following the inductions (i.e., emotion regulation effectiveness), was examined. Emotion was measured comprehensively across self-report, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and behavioural/expressive domains. Results indicated that sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality predicted differential emotion regulation effectiveness as they improved distraction but not mindful awareness effectiveness across groups. As well, higher basal vagal tone and emotional reactivity predicted improved emotion regulation effectiveness across strategies and groups. Findings suggest that targeting sleep quality may specifically facilitate the attention mechanisms required for effective use of distraction in BPD. They also suggest that identifying ways to increase vagal tone may potentiate the emotion regulation capacity of individuals with BPD. Finally, results indicate that high emotional reactions may not necessarily be problematic and, in fact, may mark a particularly fluid emotional system that is responsive to emotion regulation attempts.

Optimizing Emotion Regulation in Borderline Personality Disorder: Why and When Strategies Do and Do Not Work

10.32920/ryerson.14665926 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Skyler Fitzpatrick

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Vagal Tone ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Sleep Efficiency ◽

Emotional Intensity ◽

Mindful Awareness ◽

This dissertation aimed to delineate ways to optimize emotion regulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD) by 1) identifying factors that influence general emotion regulation effectiveness and 2) examining whether these factors predict differential effectiveness of two classes of emotion regulation strategies: engagement (i.e., engaging with emotional content) versus disengagement (i.e., shifting attention away from emotional content) strategies. Factors that occur before (i.e., antecedent-focused) and after (i.e., response-focused) emotion provocation were examined. Specifically, four predictors of general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness were identified: antecedent-focused sleep quality (impaired sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality), antecedent-focused biology (basal vagal tone), antecedent-focused emotion (baseline emotional intensity), and response-focused emotion (emotional reactivity). Secondary analyses also investigated whether the relationships of these factors to general and differential emotion regulation effectiveness varied across BPD and healthy control (HC) groups. A sample of individuals with BPD (n = 40) and matched HCs (n = 40) completed a weeklong assessment of sleep efficiency and quality and then participated in an experimental procedure. First, basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity data were collected. Following, participants were trained to use two BPD-relevant emotion regulation strategies, mindful awareness (engagement strategy) and distraction (disengagement strategy), in response to negative emotion inductions. Emotional reactivity in response to the inductions, and the extent to which emotion was decreased using the strategies following the inductions (i.e., emotion regulation effectiveness), was examined. Emotion was measured comprehensively across self-report, sympathetic, parasympathetic, and behavioural/expressive domains. Results indicated that sleep efficiency and rated sleep quality predicted differential emotion regulation effectiveness as they improved distraction but not mindful awareness effectiveness across groups. As well, higher basal vagal tone and emotional reactivity predicted improved emotion regulation effectiveness across strategies and groups. Findings suggest that targeting sleep quality may specifically facilitate the attention mechanisms required for effective use of distraction in BPD. They also suggest that identifying ways to increase vagal tone may potentiate the emotion regulation capacity of individuals with BPD. Finally, results indicate that high emotional reactions may not necessarily be problematic and, in fact, may mark a particularly fluid emotional system that is responsive to emotion regulation attempts.

A laboratory examination of emotion regulation skill strengthening in borderline personality disorder

10.32920/ryerson.14664885 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca K. Metcalfe

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Skin Conductance Response ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Laboratory Examination ◽

Mindful Awareness ◽

Multiple Trials ◽

The present study examined emotion regulation skill strengthening among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) compared to healthy controls (HCs). Participants were instructed to repeatedly implement two emotion regulation strategies (i.e., distraction and mindful awareness) in response to BPD-relevant stimuli across multiple trials. Throughout the task, both self-reported negativity and positivity, and physiological indices of emotion (i.e., heart rate and skin conductance response) were collected. Results indicated that individuals with BPD and HCs displayed improvements in distraction compared to the control condition, but not in mindful awareness over time. When comparing the two emotion regulation strategies to each other, rate of skill strengthening varied by group. Specifically, HCs evidenced improvements in distraction. In contrast, individuals with BPD evidenced improvements in mindful awareness. These findings suggest that individuals with BPD do not show deficits in skill strengthening as compared to HCs.

A laboratory examination of emotion regulation skill strengthening in borderline personality disorder

10.32920/ryerson.14664885.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rebecca K. Metcalfe

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Skin Conductance Response ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Laboratory Examination ◽

Mindful Awareness ◽

Multiple Trials ◽

The present study examined emotion regulation skill strengthening among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) compared to healthy controls (HCs). Participants were instructed to repeatedly implement two emotion regulation strategies (i.e., distraction and mindful awareness) in response to BPD-relevant stimuli across multiple trials. Throughout the task, both self-reported negativity and positivity, and physiological indices of emotion (i.e., heart rate and skin conductance response) were collected. Results indicated that individuals with BPD and HCs displayed improvements in distraction compared to the control condition, but not in mindful awareness over time. When comparing the two emotion regulation strategies to each other, rate of skill strengthening varied by group. Specifically, HCs evidenced improvements in distraction. In contrast, individuals with BPD evidenced improvements in mindful awareness. These findings suggest that individuals with BPD do not show deficits in skill strengthening as compared to HCs.

Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Borderline Personality Disorder: Diagnostic Comparisons and Associations with Potentially Harmful Behaviors

Psychopathology ◽

10.1159/000487008 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 83-95 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Alexander R. Daros ◽

Mylann A. Guevara ◽

Amanda A. Uliaszek ◽

Shelley F. McMain ◽

Anthony C. Ruocco

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Cognitive Emotion Regulation ◽

Is borderline personality disorder really an emotion dysregulation disorder and, if so, how? A comprehensive experimental paradigm

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291720004225 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Skye Fitzpatrick ◽

Sonya Varma ◽

Janice R. Kuo

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Emotion Dysregulation ◽

Emotional Reactivity ◽

Vagal Tone ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Self Report ◽

Healthy Control ◽

Emotional Recovery

Abstract Background Leading theories suggest that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is an emotion dysregulation disorder involving lower basal vagal tone, higher baseline emotion, heightened emotional reactivity, delayed emotional recovery, and emotion regulation deficits. However, the literature to date lacks a unifying paradigm that tests all of the main emotion dysregulation components and comprehensively examines whether BPD is an emotion dysregulation disorder and, if so, in what ways. This study addresses the empirical gaps with a unified paradigm that assessed whether BPD is characterized by five leading emotion dysregulation components compared to generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and healthy control (HC) groups. Methods Emotion was assessed across self-report, sympathetic, and parasympathetic indices. Participants with BPD, GAD, and HCs (N = 120) first underwent baseline periods assessing basal vagal tone and baseline emotional intensity, followed by rejection-themed stressors assessing emotional reactivity. Participants then either reacted normally to assess emotional recovery or attempted to decrease emotion using mindfulness or distraction to assess emotion regulation implementation deficits. Results Individuals with BPD and GAD exhibited higher self-reported and sympathetic baseline emotion compared to HCs. The BPD group also exhibited self-reported emotion regulation deficits using distraction only compared to the GAD group. Conclusions There is minimal support for several emotion dysregulation components in BPD, and some components that are present appear to be pervasive across high emotion dysregulation groups rather than specific to BPD. However, BPD may be characterized by problems disengaging from emotion using distraction.

The protective role of attachment security for adolescent borderline personality disorder features via enhanced positive emotion regulation strategies.

Personality Disorders Theory Research and Treatment ◽

10.1037/per0000038 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 125-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Sohye Kim ◽

Carla Sharp ◽

Crystal Carbone

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Personality Disorder ◽

Positive Emotion ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Protective Role ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

The Mediator Role of Negative Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies between Interpersonal Problems and Borderline Personality Beliefs

10.20944/preprints201809.0254.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Miray Akyunus ◽

Tülin Gençöz ◽

Selin Karakose

Keyword(s):

Emotion Regulation ◽

Interpersonal Problems ◽

Borderline Personality ◽

Cognitive Emotion Regulation ◽

Self Blame ◽

Mediator Role ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

Personality Beliefs

Interpersonal difficulties and emotion regulation are the core characteristics of the borderline personality disorders (BPD). However, how emotion regulation strategies contribute to the association between interpersonal problems and borderline personality symptomatology have not been well-addressed in the literature. The aim of the current study is to examine the mediator role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies between interpersonal problems and borderline personality beliefs. The study consisted of 648 (381 women and 267 male) people from Turkey. In addition to Socio Demographic Form, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ), Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales (IIP-32) and Borderline Personality Belief Subscale (PBQ) were used to collect data from participants. Results showed that negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies, particularly catastrophization, blaming-others and self-blame mediated the relationship between interpersonal problems and borderline personality beliefs. With the cognitive level of assessment, the findings of the current study provide enlightening information to understand the underlying processes of the borderline personality pattern, as well as promising clinical implications to improve intervention programs within cognitive therapy approaches.