Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in College Students: The Complex Interplay between Alexithymia, Emotional Dysregulation and Rumination

Abstract

Both Emotional Cascade Theory and Linehan’s Biosocial Theory suggest dysregulated behaviors associated with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) emerge, in part, because of cycles of rumination, poor emotional recognition and poor emotion regulation. In this study we examined relationships between rumination, alexithymia, and emotion regulation in predicting dysregulated behaviors associated with BPD (e.g. self-harm, substance use, aggression), and explored both indirect and moderating effects among these variables. The sample comprised 2261 college students who completed self-report measures of the aforementioned constructs. BPD symptoms, stress, family psychological illness, and alexithymia exerted direct effects on behaviors. Symptoms had an indirect effect on behaviors through rumination, alexithymia and emotional dysregulation. In addition, the relationship between symptoms and dysregulated behaviors was conditional on level of rumination and alexithymia. Implications for early identification and treatment of BPD and related behaviors in college settings are discussed.

Frontal EEG asymmetry in borderline personality disorder is associated with alexithymia

“…Even though depression, approach and avoidance behavior are common in BPD, their impact on frontal EEG asymmetry in BPD has not been studied. Nor is it entirely clear how alexithymia may contribute to frontal EEG asymmetry in BPD [ 13 , 14 ]. This could be worth studying though, because Imperatori et al recently reported an association between alexithymia and EEG power spectra and connectivity during resting state in the default-mode network with lower alpha power in the right posterior cingulate cortex and decreased alpha connectivity in non-clinical alexithymic subjects compared to non-alexithymic subjects [ 15 ].…”

The process of recovery and change in a dialectical behaviour therapy programme for youth

“…Scores above 2 are consistent with a diagnosis of BPD (Meaney et al . 2016). All had a history of service usage in the non‐government mental health sector or tertiary services.…”

Personality: Distraction or driver in the diagnosis of depression

“…Dysphoric or depressed mood is the prototypic presentation of people with personality disorder, notwithstanding the heterogeneity of the umbrella of personality and its protean manifestations. It needs to be noted that the dysphoria and depression associated with borderline personality for example is subtly qualitatively different from that of major depressive disorder, often incorporating feelings of emptiness, loneliness and shame as well as alexithymia …”

“…It needs to be noted that the dysphoria and depression associated with borderline personality for example is subtly qualitatively different from that of major depressive disorder, often incorporating feelings of emptiness, loneliness and shame as well as alexithymia. 6,7 The presence of personality disorder (and personality dysfunction) therefore complicates the management of mood disorders. Critically, when personality traits or disorder is a major factor contributing to depression, it is less likely to respond to medications that target the putative biological underpinnings of depression, when this may not be the principal driver of low mood.…”