Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users
Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is closely associated with trauma and dissociation. Nevertheless, BPD is a heterogeneous condition, and not all people with BPD have severe dissociation. This study examined whether the relationship of BPD...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMC
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00228-x |
| _version_ | 1797784750956478464 |
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| author | Hong Wang Fung Ming Yu Claudia Wong Stanley Kam Ki Lam Emily Nga Man Wong Wai Tong Chien Suet Lin Hung Kun-Hua Lee Jialiang Cui Colin A. Ross |
| author_facet | Hong Wang Fung Ming Yu Claudia Wong Stanley Kam Ki Lam Emily Nga Man Wong Wai Tong Chien Suet Lin Hung Kun-Hua Lee Jialiang Cui Colin A. Ross |
| author_sort | Hong Wang Fung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is closely associated with trauma and dissociation. Nevertheless, BPD is a heterogeneous condition, and not all people with BPD have severe dissociation. This study examined whether the relationship of BPD features with trauma and dissociation would remain significant after controlling for some general non-specific mental health distress. We also made the first attempt to explore which specific BPD features would be particularly associated with dissociation. Methods We analyzed survey data from a sample of community health service users in Hong Kong (N = 376). Hierarchical multiple regression and data-driven network analysis were used. Results The lifetime prevalence of DSM-5 BPD was 16.0% in our sample. Of participants who met criteria for BPD, 43.3% scored above cutoff on the dissociation measures, thus possibly having clinically significant dissociative symptoms. BPD features were associated with adulthood trauma and psychoform dissociation even after controlling for age, depression and self-esteem. Network analysis showed that some BPD features – including impulsivity, identity disturbance and suicidal/self-mutilation behaviors – were particularly associated with dissociation; other BPD features such as interpersonal-related problems had relatively weak to no connection with dissociation. Conclusions Our results suggested that some particular BPD features might be dissociative in nature, although further longitudinal research is required. We argue that a trauma-informed perspective should be employed when working with clients presenting with BPD features despite these features being commonly stigmatized. Further research on the intervention needs of the people with BPD who suffer from high levels of dissociation is required. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:44:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-41126dad15914fc58eea83e7197b2caf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2051-6673 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:44:21Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation |
| spelling | doaj.art-41126dad15914fc58eea83e7197b2caf2023-07-09T11:06:51ZengBMCBorderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation2051-66732023-07-0110111410.1186/s40479-023-00228-xBorderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service usersHong Wang Fung0Ming Yu Claudia Wong1Stanley Kam Ki Lam2Emily Nga Man Wong3Wai Tong Chien4Suet Lin Hung5Kun-Hua Lee6Jialiang Cui7Colin A. Ross8Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist UniversityDepartment of Health and Physical Education, The Education University of Hong KongNethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong KongDepartment of Counselling and Psychology, Hong Kong Shue Yan UniversityNethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong KongDepartment of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist UniversityDepartment of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua UniversityDepartment of Social Work, The Chinese University of Hong KongThe Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological TraumaAbstract Background Previous studies have indicated that borderline personality disorder (BPD) is closely associated with trauma and dissociation. Nevertheless, BPD is a heterogeneous condition, and not all people with BPD have severe dissociation. This study examined whether the relationship of BPD features with trauma and dissociation would remain significant after controlling for some general non-specific mental health distress. We also made the first attempt to explore which specific BPD features would be particularly associated with dissociation. Methods We analyzed survey data from a sample of community health service users in Hong Kong (N = 376). Hierarchical multiple regression and data-driven network analysis were used. Results The lifetime prevalence of DSM-5 BPD was 16.0% in our sample. Of participants who met criteria for BPD, 43.3% scored above cutoff on the dissociation measures, thus possibly having clinically significant dissociative symptoms. BPD features were associated with adulthood trauma and psychoform dissociation even after controlling for age, depression and self-esteem. Network analysis showed that some BPD features – including impulsivity, identity disturbance and suicidal/self-mutilation behaviors – were particularly associated with dissociation; other BPD features such as interpersonal-related problems had relatively weak to no connection with dissociation. Conclusions Our results suggested that some particular BPD features might be dissociative in nature, although further longitudinal research is required. We argue that a trauma-informed perspective should be employed when working with clients presenting with BPD features despite these features being commonly stigmatized. Further research on the intervention needs of the people with BPD who suffer from high levels of dissociation is required.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00228-xBorderline personality disorder (BPD)DissociationTraumaComorbidityTrauma-informed care |
| spellingShingle | Hong Wang Fung Ming Yu Claudia Wong Stanley Kam Ki Lam Emily Nga Man Wong Wai Tong Chien Suet Lin Hung Kun-Hua Lee Jialiang Cui Colin A. Ross Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation Borderline personality disorder (BPD) Dissociation Trauma Comorbidity Trauma-informed care |
| title | Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| title_full | Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| title_fullStr | Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| title_full_unstemmed | Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| title_short | Borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| title_sort | borderline personality disorder features and their relationship with trauma and dissociation in a sample of community health service users |
| topic | Borderline personality disorder (BPD) Dissociation Trauma Comorbidity Trauma-informed care |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-023-00228-x |
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