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Differences in mindfulness, rearing styles and emotion dysregulation between adolescents with borderline personality disorder features and a control group

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Abstract

Emotional dysregulation is one of the core features of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Early experiences in the family as well as mindfulness skills seems to be involved in both emotion dysregulation and the development of the disorder but it is not clear their precise contribution during adolescence. The aim of the study was to investigate if levels of mindfulness skills, emotion regulation and rearing styles in adolescents with BPD features were different compared to a control group. Then, we examined how these variables would predict BPD features vs. control group assignment. We carried out a cross-sectional study using a survey methodology to compare rearing styles, emotion regulation and mindfulness skills between a BPD features sample (n = 48) and a healthy control sample (n = 48). Then, a direct logistic regression analysis was performed on clinical status as outcome using the whole sample. As predicted, the BPD features group had lower levels in affect and mindfulness skills and higher scores in criticism and emotion dysregulation compared to the control group. Nonjudging and emotional overproduction showed the largest effect sizes. Mindfulness skills, and particularly nonjudging, predicted BPD features group assignment. This work highlights the role of nonjudging skills in BPD features and the potential relevance of BPD prevention programs targeting mindfulness skills.

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Acknowledgements

This study was also supported by a grant of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RTI2018-100689-B-I00).

Funding

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (PI17/00997), co-financed by ERDF Funds from the European Commission, “A way of making Europe”, CIBERSAM, Madrid Regional Government (B2017/BMD-3740 AGES-CM-2), European Union Structural Funds, European Union Seventh Framework Program, European Union H2020 Program, Fundación Familia Alonso and Fundación Alicia Koplowitz.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Sant Joan de Déu Terres de Lleida Hospital, Lleida, Spain

    Sara Marco

  2. Psychiatry Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain

    María Mayoral

  3. Department of Personality, Assessment and Clinical Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Sara Marco & Gonzalo Hervás

  4. School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus of Somosaguas, Madrid, 28223, Spain

    Gonzalo Hervás

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  1. Sara Marco
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  3. Gonzalo Hervás
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Contributions

Sara Marco: Conceptualization, Data collection, Original draft preparation, Statistical analyses and data management. María Mayoral: Writing- Reviewing and Editing. Gonzalo Hervas: Conceptualization, Writing-Reviewing and Editing, Supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gonzalo Hervás.

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Ethical approval

The study has been approved by Gregorio Maranon Hospital and Sant Joan de Déu Terres de Lleida Hospital Ethical Comitees. We carried out the investigation in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation). Written informed consent of the participants and their parents was obtained before questionnaire completion and information of the purpose and methodology of the intervention was explained. This research involved human participants under 18 years and informed consent was collected from parents and adolescents.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Marco, S., Mayoral, M. & Hervás, G. Differences in mindfulness, rearing styles and emotion dysregulation between adolescents with borderline personality disorder features and a control group. Curr Psychol 43, 16228–16236 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-05565-2

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