Citation

Natividad A, Huxley E, Townsend ML, Grenyer BFS, Pickard JA. J. Ment. Health 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Informa Healthcare)

DOI

10.1080/09638237.2023.2182425

PMID

36916308

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Self-harm presents significant risk for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Both self-harm and BPD are associated with deficits in mindfulness and emotion dysregulation. Previous research suggests that thought suppression and emotional inexpressivity may underpin self-harm in people with BPD, suggesting potential links to self-harm functions common for those with BPD. More research is needed to strengthen our understanding of this relationship. AIMS: This study examines how BPD symptoms, mindfulness, emotion dysregulation and self-harm functions are related.

METHODS: Australian community outpatients diagnosed with BPD (N = 110) completed measures of mindfulness, emotion dysregulation and self-harm functions. Serial mediation analyses were conducted to examine relationships between variables.

RESULTS: BPD symptoms, chronic emptiness, mindfulness skills, describing and non-reacting, emotion dysregulation areas of emotion regulation strategies and poor emotional clarity were associated with recent self-harm. Various combinations of describing, strategies and clarity mediated the path between emptiness and self-harm functions more likely to be endorsed by individuals with a diagnosis of BPD. Describing was associated with all but anti-suicide function, while strategies was associated with all but anti-dissociation.

CONCLUSION: The study highlights how individuals with BPD experiencing chronic emptiness may benefit from treatment targeting describing skills and adaptive emotion regulation strategies.

Language: en

Keywords

self-harm; non-suicidal self-injury; mindfulness; Borderline personality disorder; emotion dysregulation