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Černis E, Ehlers A, Freeman D. Psychological mechanisms connected to dissociation: Generating hypotheses using network analyses. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 148:165-173. [PMID: 35124396 PMCID: PMC8968218 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A large number of mechanisms, many relating to the processing of affect, have been proposed to cause dissociation. The aim of this study was to use network analyses to identify psychological processes most closely connected with 'felt sense of anomaly' dissociative experiences. Both an undirected model and a partially directed network model were estimated using data from 6161 general population respondents collected online. The networks were used to identify relationships between dissociation and ten candidate mechanisms: cognitive appraisals, behavioural responses to dissociation, affect intolerance, alexithymia, attentional control, body vigilance, anxiety sensitivity, general self-efficacy, perseverative thinking, and beliefs regarding stress. Both models indicated a highly connected network in which dissociation had direct connections with six psychological processes: cognitive appraisals, behavioural responses, perseverative thinking, alexithymia, general self-efficacy, and beliefs about being overwhelmed. The strongest connection in both networks was between dissociation and cognitive appraisals (causal effect 0.73). The causal direction of connections could not be statistically determined with confidence, apart from the strong probability that dissociation causes meta-cognitions about being overwhelmed (98.54% of 50,000 sampled directed acyclic graphs). Both networks suggest that cognitive appraisals and factors relating to heightened (negative) sensitivity to affect are closely connected to dissociation. Dissociative experiences may arise from a high sensitivity to affect leading to threat-based appraisals that are ruminated upon and maintained by unhelpful behaviours such as avoidance. Investigation of these relationships in clinical groups, and direct causal tests, are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Černis
- University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Anke Ehlers
- Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Old Rectory, Paradise Square, Oxford, OX1 1TW, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | - Daniel Freeman
- University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
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2
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Černis E, Molodynski A, Ehlers A, Freeman D. Dissociation in patients with non-affective psychosis: Prevalence, symptom associations, and maintenance factors. Schizophr Res 2022; 239:11-18. [PMID: 34800911 PMCID: PMC8765411 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dissociation is problematic in its own right for patients with psychosis but may also contribute to the occurrence of psychotic experiences. We therefore set out to estimate in a large cohort of patients with psychosis the prevalence of dissociative experiences, and assess using network models the relationships between dissociation, its potential maintenance mechanisms, and mental health symptoms. 902 patients with non-affective psychosis attending UK mental health services participated. Both an undirected model and a partially directed network model were estimated to identify potential relationships between 'felt sense of anomaly' dissociative experiences, paranoia, hallucinations, psychological wellbeing, sleep, and six potential maintenance mechanisms (affect intolerance, perseverative thinking, general self-efficacy, alexithymia, cognitive appraisals, and cognitive-behavioural responses to dissociation). 617 patients (65.4%) had experienced at least one dissociative symptom regularly over the past fortnight, with the average number experienced being 8.9 (SD = 8.0). Dissociation had direct relationships with paranoia, hallucinations, low psychological wellbeing, cognitive appraisals, cognitive-behavioural responses to dissociation, perseverative thinking, and low alexithymia. Dissociation was a probable cause of hallucinations (94.21% of 50,000 sampled directed acyclic graphs), with a trend towards also being a cause of paranoia (86.25% of 50,000 sampled directed acyclic graphs). Approximately two-thirds of patients with psychosis experience regular dissociative experiences. Dissociation is associated with low psychological wellbeing, and it is likely to have a direct causal influence on psychotic symptoms. Catastrophic cognitive appraisals, cognitive-behavioural responses to dissociation, factors related to affect sensitivity, and perseverative thinking may contribute to the occurrence of dissociation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Černis
- University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew Molodynski
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
| | - Anke Ehlers
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom; Oxford Centre for Anxiety Disorders and Trauma, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, The Old Rectory, Paradise Square, Oxford OX1 1TW, United Kingdom.
| | - Daniel Freeman
- University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom; Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, United Kingdom.
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3
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Guénolé F, Spiers S, Gicquel L, Delvenne V, Robin M, Corcos M, Pham-Scottez A, Speranza M. Interpersonal Relatedness and Non-suicidal Self-Injurious Behaviors in Female Adolescents With Borderline Personality Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:731629. [PMID: 34867523 PMCID: PMC8634159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.731629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Psychopathological models of adolescent borderline personality disorder (BPD) suggest that non-suicidal self-injuring (NSSI)-a particularly frequent symptom in girls-may constitute a way of coping with distress resulting from interpersonal concerns they typically experience as a developmental psychopathological feature. Objectives: Our objective was to investigate the relationship in BPD female adolescents between NSSI and the Sidney Blatt two-polarities model of personality development, which focuses on the psychological processes of interpersonal relatedness and self-definition. Methods: The study was conducted within the European Research Network on Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescence, using the Depressive Experience Questionnaire (DEQ). Results: BPD patients (n = 59; mean age = 16.6 ± 1.3) scored significantly higher than healthy controls on the two DEQ sub-factors assessing the more immature forms of Interpersonal Relatedness (Neediness) and Self-definition (Self-criticism) and significantly lower on the more mature form of Self-definition (Efficacy). BPD adolescents with NSSI showed significantly higher scores on both mature and immature forms of Interpersonal Relatedness (Neediness and Connectedness) compared to BPD adolescents without NSSI. A logistic regression analysis showed that the subfactor Neediness of the DEQ was the only significant predictor of the presence of NSSI among BPD adolescents. Conclusions: The preliminary results of this study suggests that NSSI in adolescents with BPD is developmentally linked to high developmental concerns in the domain of interpersonal relatedness, which may be taken into consideration in clinical practice. More studies are necessary to better understand the relationships between NSSI and developmental psychopathology in borderline adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Guénolé
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Caen, France
| | - Solène Spiers
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Caen, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Caen, France
| | - Ludovic Gicquel
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Poitiers, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Poitiers, France
| | - Veronique Delvenne
- Service de Pédopsychiatrie, Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marion Robin
- Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Adolescent et de l'Adulte Jeune, Paris, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INSERM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), Team "DevPsy," Villejuif, France
| | - Maurice Corcos
- Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Service de Psychiatrie de l'Adolescent et de l'Adulte Jeune, Paris, France
| | | | - Mario Speranza
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, INSERM, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health (CESP), Team "DevPsy," Villejuif, France.,Centre Hospitalier de Versailles, Service Universitaire de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Le Chesnay, France
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Reyno SM, Simmons M, Kinley J. A meta-analytic study examining the relationship between alexithymia and dissociation in psychiatric and nonclinical populations. RESEARCH IN PSYCHOTHERAPY (MILANO) 2020; 23:439. [PMID: 32913826 PMCID: PMC7451292 DOI: 10.4081/ripppo.2020.439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Alexithymia and dissociation have been consistently linked in the literature, particularly in psychiatric populations. Both arise from a disconnection between conscious aspects of self-experiences and perceptions at both the mental self and bodily levels. This results in difficulty integrating thoughts, feelings and experiences into consciousness and memory, negatively impacting emotion awareness/regulation and reflective functioning. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the strength of the relationship between alexithymia and dissociation in both clinical and non-clinical populations. Studies using two common measures of these constructs were included (i.e., the Toronto Alexithymia Scale - TAS, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale - DES). Analyzing the effect sizes derived from 19 studies (including a total of 4664 participants) revealed moderate to strong relationships between alexithymia and dissociation. The strength of the association was higher in clinical and younger aged non clinical populations. These findings are discussed in the context of treatment recommendations..
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maria Simmons
- Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Halifax NS
| | - Jackie Kinley
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada
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Alexithymia as a possible specifier of adverse outcomes: Clinical correlates in euthymic unipolar individuals. J Affect Disord 2020; 263:428-436. [PMID: 31969274 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alexithymia is a disabling condition frequently linked to major depressive disorder (MDD) and able to enhance symptoms severity and suicide risk. This study aimed to clarify whether patients with and without alexithymia may differ concerning illness presentation and clinical course, which is a major gap in the scientific literature. METHODS The present sample included 381 euthymic outpatients with MDD recruited at the Department of Neuroscience (DINOGMI), University of Genoa. The Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and additional rating scales (Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Intent Score Scale (ISS) were administered to all participants. RESULTS Alexithymic patients were more likely to have lower educational level (11.6 ± 3.2 vs. 12.4 ± 3.4, p ≤ .05), have used previous psychiatric drugs (85.7% vs. 72.8%, p =.001), use current antidepressants (84.7% vs. 69.4%, p = <.001), and have higher cardiological comorbid disorders (10.7% vs. 5.0%, p = ≤.05). After multivariate analyses, alexithymia was associated with lower educational level (OR=0.928, p = .05), and higher current antidepressants use (OR 2.302, p = .01); difficulties in identifying feelings were associated with lower educational level (p = ≤.005), higher psychiatric comorbidity (p = ≤.001), and previous psychiatric medications (p = .01). Furthermore, having a lower educational level remained the only factor associated with both difficulties in communicating feelings (p = ≤.001) and thoughts oriented to external context (p = ≤.005). LIMITATIONS The study is limited by the small sample size and its cross-sectional nature. CONCLUSIONS Alexithymia appears a useful specifier of adverse outcomes, associated with distinct socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Its identification would allow to provide a more personalized care.
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Flasbeck V, Popkirov S, Ebert A, Brüne M. Altered interoception in patients with borderline personality disorder: a study using heartbeat-evoked potentials. Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul 2020; 7:24. [PMID: 33101689 PMCID: PMC7579937 DOI: 10.1186/s40479-020-00139-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Flasbeck
- LWL University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1, D-44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Stoyan Popkirov
- University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus Bochum, Department of Neurology, Ruhr University Bochum, In der Schornau 23-25, 44892 Bochum, Germany
| | - Andreas Ebert
- LWL University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1, D-44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Brüne
- LWL University Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Preventive Medicine, Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Alexandrinenstr. 1, D-44791 Bochum, Germany
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Lynn SJ, Maxwell R, Merckelbach H, Lilienfeld SO, Kloet DVHVD, Miskovic V. Dissociation and its disorders: Competing models, future directions, and a way forward. Clin Psychol Rev 2019; 73:101755. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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8
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Evren C, Karabulut V, Alniak I, Evren B, Carkci OH, Yilmaz Cengel H, Ozkara Menekseoglu P, Cetin T, Bozkurt M, Umut G. Emotion dysregulation and internalizing symptoms affect relationships between ADHD symptoms and borderline personality features among male patients with substance use disorders. PSYCHIAT CLIN PSYCH 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/24750573.2019.1595271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Cuneyt Evren
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vahap Karabulut
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Izgi Alniak
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Bilge Evren
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltalimani State Hospital for Muskuloskeletal Disorders, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Helin Carkci
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Hanife Yilmaz Cengel
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Pelin Ozkara Menekseoglu
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Turan Cetin
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Muge Bozkurt
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gokhan Umut
- Research, Treatment and Training Center for Alcohol and Substance Dependence (AMATEM), Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry Neurology and Neurosurgery, Istanbul, Turkey
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9
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Bayes A, Parker G. Borderline personality disorder in men: A literature review and illustrative case vignettes. Psychiatry Res 2017; 257:197-202. [PMID: 28768209 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2017.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2017] [Revised: 06/26/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim is to review the salient literature on borderline personality disorder (BPD) in men and link those findings with case vignettes. We provide a literature review and then report case examples of those who met DSM and clinical BPD criteria, and consider the extent to which the small male sub-set corresponded developmentally and phenomenologically with prototypic BPD in women. The review considered phenomenological, epidemiological, biological and developmental BPD factors, finding BPD men evidence elevated substance abuse, and 'externalising' patterns of behavior, antisocial personality traits, violent self-harm and interpersonal aggression, whereas women display more 'internalising' strategies. The five male vignettes enriched the literature review providing support for gender differences reported in our review. The literature and case vignette findings should assist clinicians in recognising that BPD in men may not be as rare as generally viewed, and which may reflect BPD being commonly viewed as weighted to women and being misdiagnosed as an antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bayes
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW 2050, Australia.
| | - Gordon Parker
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, NSW 2050, Australia; Black Dog Institute, Hospital Rd, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia
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10
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Davydov DM. Alexithymia as a health risk and resilience factor. J Psychosom Res 2017; 101:66-67. [PMID: 28867426 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry M Davydov
- Laboratory of Neuroimmunopathology, Institute of General Pathology and Pathophysiology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 8 Baltiyskaia ul., Moscow 125315, Russia; Department of Medical Development, GLMED Longevity & Beauty Residence, 2 Malaya Polyanka ul., Moscow 119180, Russia.
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11
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Scalabrini A, Cavicchioli M, Fossati A, Maffei C. The extent of dissociation in borderline personality disorder: A meta-analytic review. J Trauma Dissociation 2017; 18:522-543. [PMID: 27681284 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2016.1240738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Several authors have studied dissociation within the borderline personality disorder (BPD) population and postulated 3 dissociative subgroups. Conversely, other authors suggest that dissociation may play a central role in the development of trauma-related disorders and specifically in BPD. Nevertheless, the role of dissociation in BPD seems to be controversial. Our aim is to perform a meta-analytic review of the literature to evaluate the extent of dissociation in BPD compared to other psychopathological disorders to clarify its role in this specific condition. Ten eligible studies resulted in a total of 2,035 subjects. Results show that levels of dissociation are higher in BPD than in other psychiatric disorders in general, although this difference is moderate and the heterogeneity of effect sizes is large. In particular, individuals with BPD seem to show higher levels of dissociation than those with several psychiatric and personality disorders but not dissociative disorders or posttraumatic stress disorder. These findings support the fact that dissociation is not specifically a core feature of BPD and, in addition, sustain the existence of a continuum of severity within the psychiatric population. Nevertheless, the current work has several limitations related to the paucity of studies included, the heterogeneity of control groups, their clear definition, and the statistical robustness of the results. In addition, our conclusions require future research in order to explain the role of different forms of dissociation and their etiological factors among the psychiatric population. Eventually, we invite clinicians and researchers to systematically evaluate dissociation in order to reach a better diagnosis for a more specific treatment indication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Scalabrini
- a Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science , University G. D'Annunzio , Chieti , Italy.,b Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , San Raffaele Hospital (Ville Turro) , Milan , Italy
| | - Marco Cavicchioli
- b Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , San Raffaele Hospital (Ville Turro) , Milan , Italy.,c Department of Psychology , University "Vita-Salute San Raffaele," , Milan , Italy
| | - Andrea Fossati
- b Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , San Raffaele Hospital (Ville Turro) , Milan , Italy.,d Department of Human Studies , LUMSA University , Rome , Italy
| | - Cesare Maffei
- b Unit of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy , San Raffaele Hospital (Ville Turro) , Milan , Italy.,c Department of Psychology , University "Vita-Salute San Raffaele," , Milan , Italy
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12
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Derks YPMJ, Westerhof GJ, Bohlmeijer ET. A Meta-analysis on the Association Between Emotional Awareness and Borderline Personality Pathology. J Pers Disord 2017; 31:362-384. [PMID: 27387060 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2016_30_257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Theories on borderline personality pathology (BPP) suggest that characteristic emotional dysregulation is due to low levels of emotional awareness or alexithymia. This study is the first meta-analysis to systematically review and analyze the evidence. A systematic search of the literature was performed using PsycInfo, Web of Science/MEDLINE, and Scopus. The term "borderline personality disorder" was searched for in conjunction with "emotional awareness," "emotional self-awareness," "emotion recognition," "alexithymia," "emotional processing," "emotional granularity," "emotional intelligence," or "emotion regulation." All references in the included studies were reviewed for additional relevant articles. Thirty-nine studies were then evaluated in a random effects meta-analysis to assess the association between BPP and emotional awareness. An overall moderate positive association between BPP and emotional awareness was significant (r = 0.359; 95% CI [0.283, 0.431]; Z = 8.678; p < 0.001) along with high heterogeneity (Q(38) = 456.7; p < .001; I2 = 91.7%). Studies comparing borderline personality disorder to healthy controls yielded a strong association (r = 0.518; 95% CI [0.411, 0.611]). No significant difference was found between studies using instruments for emotional awareness and those using alexithymia instruments. The strongest associations with regard to aspects of alexithymia were found for difficulties in identifying and describing emotions rather than externally oriented thinking. The results corroborate a moderate relationship between low emotional awareness and BPP. However, the mono-method self-report used in almost all studies is found problematic and precludes drawing definite conclusions. Since leading psychotherapeutic treatments strongly focus on increasing emotional awareness, future research should address this issue and further examine to what extent low levels of emotional awareness, particularly alexithymia, can be treated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ernst T Bohlmeijer
- Department of Psychology, Health, and Technology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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13
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Berenson KR, Dochat C, Martin CG, Yang X, Rafaeli E, Downey G. Identification of mental states and interpersonal functioning in borderline personality disorder. Personal Disord 2016; 9:172-181. [PMID: 27831693 DOI: 10.1037/per0000228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Atypical identification of mental states in the self and others has been proposed to underlie interpersonal difficulties in borderline personality disorder (BPD), yet no previous empirical research has directly examined associations between these constructs. We examine 3 mental state identification measures and their associations with experience-sampling measures of interpersonal functioning in participants with BPD relative to a healthy comparison (HC) group. We also included a clinical comparison group diagnosed with avoidant personality disorder (APD) to test the specificity of this constellation of difficulties to BPD. When categorizing blended emotional expressions, the BPD group identified anger at a lower threshold than did the HC and APD groups, but no group differences emerged in the threshold for identifying happiness. These results are consistent with enhanced social threat identification and not general negativity biases in BPD. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) showed no group differences in general mental state identification abilities. Alexithymia scores were higher in both BPD and APD relative to the HC group, and difficulty identifying one's own emotions was higher in BPD compared to APD and HC. Within the BPD group, lower RMET scores were associated with lower anger identification thresholds and higher alexithymia scores. Moreover, lower anger identification thresholds, lower RMET scores, and higher alexithymia scores were all associated with greater levels of interpersonal difficulties in daily life. Research linking measures of mental state identification with experience-sampling measures of interpersonal functioning can help clarify the role of mental state identification in BPD symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Xiao Yang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
| | - Eshkol Rafaeli
- Department of Psychology and Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University
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McGillivray L, Becerra R, Harms C. Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alexithymia: A Comparison Between Australian Psychiatric and Community Samples. J Clin Psychol 2016; 73:76-87. [DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Rodrigo Becerra
- Edith Cowan University; Western Australia
- Fremantle Adult Mental Health Services
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15
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Patil I, Young L, Sinay V, Gleichgerrcht E. Elevated moral condemnation of third-party violations in multiple sclerosis patients. Soc Neurosci 2016; 12:308-329. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2016.1175380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Abstract
Little research has focused on the contributors to adult theory of mind (ToM) even though there is reason to suspect individual differences in performance in neurotypical samples. Alexithymia, a term that references an impaired ability to attend to and verbally label emotions via ongoing introspection, is a useful construct through which to explore how socially relevant dimensions of emotion processing enable ToM. As 1 study has explored alexithymia vis-à-vis cognitive ToM, this study examined the relationships between facets of alexithymia and affective ToM while controlling for the potential confounds of empathy, verbal ability, and negative affect. A nonclinical sample of adults (N = 86) completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, the Mehrabian and Epstein Scale of Emotional Empathy, the Profile of Mood States, and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that externally oriented thinking contributed unique variance to affective ToM, confirming an inverse relationship between alexithymia and affective ToM but highlighting the need to parse alexithymia into discrete facets when exploring its relevance to social cognition.
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Sajadi SF, Zargar Y, Mehrabizade Honarmand M, Arshadi N. Designing and Testing a Model of Some Precedents and Outcomes of Borderline Personality Disorder in High School Students of Shiraz. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH 2015. [DOI: 10.17795/intjsh-26742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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Sajadi SF, Arshadi N, Zargar Y, Mehrabizade Honarmand M, Hajjari Z. Borderline Personality Features in Students: the Predicting Role of Schema, Emotion Regulation, Dissociative Experience and Suicidal Ideation. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS & ADDICTION 2015; 4:e20021. [PMID: 26401490 PMCID: PMC4578319 DOI: 10.5812/ijhrba.20021v2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/17/2014] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies have demonstrated that early maladaptive schemas, emotional dysregulation are supposed to be the defining core of borderline personality disorder. Many studies have also found a strong association between the diagnosis of borderline personality and the occurrence of suicide ideation and dissociative symptoms. OBJECTIVES The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between borderline personality features and schema, emotion regulation, dissociative experiences and suicidal ideation among high school students in Shiraz City, Iran. PATIENTS AND METHODS In this descriptive correlational study, 300 students (150 boys and 150 girls) were selected from the high schools in Shiraz, Iran, using the multi-stage random sampling. Data were collected using some instruments including borderline personality feature scale for children, young schema questionnaire-short form, difficulties in emotion-regulation scale (DERS), dissociative experience scale and beck suicide ideation scale. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate regression analysis. RESULTS The results showed a significant positive correlation between schema, emotion regulation, dissociative experiences and suicide ideation with borderline personality features. Moreover, the results of multivariate regression analysis suggested that among the studied variables, schema was the most effective predicting variable of borderline features (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study are in accordance with findings from previous studies, and generally show a meaningful association between schema, emotion regulation, dissociative experiences, and suicide ideation with borderline personality features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyede Fateme Sajadi
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, IR Iran
- Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shiraz, IR Iran
| | - Nasrin Arshadi
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, IR Iran
| | - Yadolla Zargar
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, IR Iran
| | | | - Zahra Hajjari
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Predicting Borderline Personality Features on the Basis of Alexithymia and Attitude Toward Mother. RAZAVI INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 2015. [DOI: 10.5812/rijm.25027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Predicting Borderline Personality Features on the Basis of Alexithymia and Attitude Toward Mother. RAZAVI INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MEDICINE 2015. [DOI: 10.5812/rijm.3(2)2015.25027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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Ross CA, Ferrell L, Schroeder E. Co-occurrence of dissociative identity disorder and borderline personality disorder. J Trauma Dissociation 2014; 15:79-90. [PMID: 24377974 DOI: 10.1080/15299732.2013.834861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The literature indicates that, among individuals with borderline personality disorder, pathological dissociation correlates with a wide range of impairments and difficulties in psychological function. It also predicts a poorer response to dialectical behavior therapy for borderline personality disorder. We hypothesized that (a) dissociative identity disorder commonly co-occurs with borderline personality disorder and vice versa, and (b) individuals who meet criteria for both disorders have more comorbidity and trauma than individuals who meet criteria for only 1 disorder. We interviewed a sample of inpatients in a hospital trauma program using 3 measures of dissociation. The most symptomatic group was those participants who met criteria for both borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder on the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule, followed by those who met criteria for dissociative identity disorder only, then those with borderline personality disorder only, and finally those with neither disorder. Greater attention should be paid to the relationship between borderline personality disorder and dissociative identity disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Ross
- a The Colin A. Ross Institute for Psychological Trauma , Richardson , Texas , USA
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The relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia: mediating role of defense mechanisms. Asian J Psychiatr 2013; 6:571-6. [PMID: 24309875 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2013.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the mediating role of ego defense mechanisms on the relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia. Four hundred and forty-three Iranian high school students (213 boys, 230 girls) participated in this study. Participants completed Defense Styles Questionnaire (DSQ-40), Adult Attachment Inventory (AAI), and Farsi version of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (FTAS-20). Results showed a significant negative correlation between secure attachment style and alexithymia, while avoidant and ambivalent attachment styles showed significant positive associations with alexithymia. Regression analysis indicated that defense mechanisms have a mediating role between attachment styles and alexithymia. It can be concluded that a mediation role of ego defense mechanisms on the relationship between attachment styles and alexithymia was partial.
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Davydov DM, Luminet O, Zech E. An externally oriented style of thinking as a moderator of responses to affective films in women. Int J Psychophysiol 2013; 87:152-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2012.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2012] [Revised: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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