scholarly journals Emotional Responsiveness in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review of Self-Report and Physiological Measures.

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-93
Author(s):  
Suman Qaisar
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Emotional Dysregulation ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Physiological Measures ◽  
Emotional Responsiveness ◽  
Current Review

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and interpersonal problems, has historically been conceptualized by generalized heightened intensity and reactivity. However, findings regarding emotional responsiveness in adults with BPD are mixed. The current review aimed to critically assess and compare self-report and physiological research of emotional responsiveness in adults with BPD by electronic searching of relevant databases, with 6 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Specifically, results from self-report and physiological measures are compared in an attempt to synthesize similarities and differences. The results suggest a negativity bias in BPD, indicating that BPD patients exhibit heightened negative emotional reactivity, particularly in response to BPD-specific emotional stimuli. Additionally, limitations of individual studies and of the current review are discussed, with potential directions for future research.

Failures to Imagine

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 270-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reed Maxwell ◽  
Steven Jay Lynn ◽  
Scott Lilienfeld
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Visual Mental Imagery

Although interest in the relationship between mental imagery and psychopathology has increased greatly over the last decade, few publications to date have examined relationships between personality-related psychopathology and mental imagery use, abilities, or both. However, we have reason to expect that substantive relationships may exist. For example, studies have consistently linked psychopathy and borderline personality disorder to problems in emotion experience and emotion regulation, and a growing number of studies indicate that deficits in visual mental imagery use and ability in particular may contribute to such problems. Using correlational data from multiple self-report measures of normal and pathological personality functioning and visual mental imagery, our study presents preliminary evidence for lower levels of self-reported visual mental imagery use, abilities, or both among noncriminal individuals with higher levels of self-reported psychopathy and individuals with greater emotional regulation difficulties, a core feature of borderline personality disorder. We also found significant relationships among self-reported visual mental imagery use, ability, or both, and personality variables shown to strongly predict psychopathy and emotional regulation difficulties. Limitations of the study, especially its reliance on a correlational, cross-sectional design, are discussed, and implications for future research are explored.

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

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Skye Fitzpatrick ◽  
Sonya Varma ◽  
Janice R. Kuo
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Altered interoception in patients with borderline personality disorder: a study using heartbeat-evoked potentials

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Flasbeck ◽  
Stoyan Popkirov ◽  
Andreas Ebert ◽  
Martin Brüne
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Symptom Severity ◽  
Emotional Awareness ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Interoceptive Awareness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthy Controls

Abstract Background Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience difficulties in emotional awareness (alexithymia), and often develop dissociative symptoms, which may reflect broader deficits in interoceptive awareness. Whether this is associated with alterations in cortical processing of interoception is currently unknown. Methods We utilized an electrophysiological marker of interoception, i.e. heartbeat-evoked potentials (HEP), and examined its relationship with electrocardiographic correlates of autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning (heart rate variability), and with self-report measures of alexithymia, dissociation and borderline symptom severity in patients with BPD. Results Individuals with BPD had higher HEP amplitudes over frontal electrodes compared to healthy controls. Sympathetic ANS activity was greater in BPD patients than in controls. Across groups, HEP amplitudes were associated with parasympathetic activity over central electrodes and correlated with alexithymia over frontal electrodes. Conclusions These findings support the idea that difficulties in emotional awareness in BPD are reflected in altered frontal electrophysiological markers of interception. Therefore, emotional awareness can be understood as failures of modulation between interoceptive and exteroceptive attention. Future research may aim to investigate whether altered interoception and its electrophysiological correlates are malleable by therapeutic intervention.

scholarly journals Negative emotional reactivity as a marker of vulnerability in the development of borderline personality disorder symptoms

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 213-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie D. Stepp ◽  
Lori N. Scott ◽  
Neil P. Jones ◽  
Diana J. Whalen ◽  
Alison E. Hipwell
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Latent Variable ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cumulative Exposure ◽  
Family Adversity ◽  
Latent Growth ◽  
Growth Curve Models

AbstractNegative emotionality is a distinguishing feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, this person-level characteristic has not been examined as a marker of vulnerability in the development of this disorder. The current study utilized a multimethod approach to examine the interplay between negative emotional reactivity and cumulative exposure to family adversity on the development of BPD symptoms across 3 years (ages 16–18) in a diverse, at-risk sample of adolescent girls (N = 113). A latent variable of negative emotional reactivity was created from multiple assessments at age 16: self-report, emotion ratings to stressors from ecological assessments across 1 week, and observer-rated negative affectivity during a mother–daughter conflict discussion task. Exposure to family adversity was measured cumulatively between ages 5 and 16 from annual assessments of family poverty, single parent household, and difficult life circumstances. The results from latent growth curve models demonstrated a significant interaction between negative emotional reactivity and family adversity, such that exposure to adversity strengthened the association between negative emotional reactivity and BPD symptoms. In addition, family adversity predicted increasing BPD symptoms during late adolescence. These findings highlight negative emotional reactivity as a marker of vulnerability that ultimately increases risk for the development of BPD symptoms.

Emotional Reactivity in Borderline Personality Disorder: Theoretical Considerations Based on a Meta-Analytic Review of Laboratory Studies

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Bortolla ◽  
Marco Cavicchioli ◽  
Andrea Fossati ◽  
Cesare Maffei
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Emotional Reactivity ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Analytic Review ◽  
Response Systems ◽  
Physiological Outcomes

Emotional hyperreactivity (Linehan, 1993) is the most investigated construct in borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, experimental studies revealed mixed results on the topic. Our main objective is to comprehensively summarize the results on emotional reactivity in BPD compared to healthy controls (HCs), using a meta-analytic approach, considering different emotional response systems (physiology, behavior, self-report). We included 31 experimental studies (1,675 subjects). We observed null to small effect sizes for several physiological and behavioral outcomes. Conversely, BPD subjects revealed a moderate to large difference in valence attributed to emotional stimuli and a small difference in self-reported arousal. Significant differences in pooled effect sizes were found between self-report and physiological outcomes. Several sources of heterogeneity were explored. In general, the hyperreactivity hypothesis was not supported. Additional dysfunctional processes should be taken into consideration to understand BPD emotional responsiveness.

Emotion-Oriented Coping Style Predicts Self-Harm in Response to Acute Psychiatric Hospitalization

Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jacqueline M. Frei ◽  
Vladimir Sazhin ◽  
Melissa Fick ◽  
Keong Yap
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Psychiatric Hospitalization ◽  
Coping Styles ◽  
Psychiatric Inpatients ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Therapeutic Interventions ◽  
Coping Behaviors ◽  
Self Harm

Abstract. Psychiatric hospitalization can cause significant distress for patients. Research has shown that to cope with the stress, patients sometimes resort to self-harm. Given the paucity of research on self-harm among psychiatric inpatients, a better understanding of transdiagnostic processes as predictors of self-harm during psychiatric hospitalization is needed. The current study examined whether coping styles predicted self-harm after controlling for commonly associated factors, such as age, gender, and borderline personality disorder. Participants were 72 patients (mean age = 39.32 years, SD = 12.29, 64% male) admitted for inpatient treatment at a public psychiatric hospital in Sydney, Australia. Participants completed self-report measures of coping styles and ward-specific coping behaviors, including self-harm, in relation to coping with the stress of acute hospitalization. Results showed that younger age, diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, and higher emotion-oriented coping were associated with self-harm. After controlling for age and borderline personality disorder, higher levels of emotion-oriented coping were found to be a significant predictor of self-harm. Findings were partially consistent with hypotheses; emotion-oriented but not avoidance-oriented coping significantly predicted self-harm. This finding may help to identify and provide psychiatric inpatients who are at risk of self-harm with appropriate therapeutic interventions.

scholarly journals Dyadic Emotion Regulation in Women with Borderline Personality Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annemarie Miano ◽  
Sven Barnow ◽  
Stina Wagner ◽  
Stefan Roepke ◽  
Isabel Dziobek
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Male Partner ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Negative Behaviors ◽  
Support Seeking ◽  
Threatening Situation

Abstract Background Emotion regulation (ER) and interpersonal dysfunction constitute key features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Here, we tested if females with BPD show impairments in dyadic ER, that is in their support seeking and creation of closeness. We investigated if women with BPD might over-rely on their male partner by excessive support seeking and establishing of closeness, during conversations with personally and relationship-threatening topics. Methods Thirty couples in which the women were diagnosed with BPD and 34 healthy control (HC) couples were videotaped while discussing neutral, personally threatening, and relationship-threatening topics. Support seeking was rated by three independent raters, using a naïve observer method. The creation of closeness was rated using a continuous video-rating. Perceived emotions were assessed using self-report after each conversation. Results Women with BPD engaged in more support seeking than HC women, especially in more negative behaviors to elicit support, they created less closeness to their partner than HCs and reported a greater decline of positive emotions in both threatening conditions. Women with BPD displayed more fluctuations than controls between creating closeness and distance in the personally-threatening situation. They reported a larger increase in negative emotions after the relationship threatening conversation compared to female HC. Conclusions The present study indicates an increased demand of dyadic ER in BPD. Increased negative support seeking and less creation of closeness to the partner might reflect ineffective strategies to actually receive support from the partner.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Associations Between Dimensional Personality Profiles and Self-Destructive Behaviors

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katharina Kolbeck ◽  
Steffen Moritz ◽  
Julia Bierbrodt ◽  
Christina Andreou
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Five Factor Model ◽  
Risk Preference ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Personality Profiles ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Destructive Behaviors

Ongoing research is shifting towards a dimensional understanding of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Aim of this study was to identify personality profiles in BPD that are predictive of self-destructive behaviors. Personality traits were assessed (n = 130) according to the five-factor model of personality (i.e., Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness to Experience, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness) and an additional factor called Risk Preference. Self-destructive behavior parameters such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and other borderline typical dyscontrolled behaviors (e.g., drug abuse) were assessed by self-report measures. Canonical correlation analyses demonstrated that Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness are predictors of NSSI. Further, Neuroticism, Agreeableness, and Risk Preference were associated with dyscontrolled behaviors. Our results add further support on personality-relevant self-destructive behaviors in BPD. A combined diagnostic assessment could offer clinically meaningful insights about the causes of self-destruction in BPD to expand current therapeutic repertoires.

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