In Their Own Words

Abstract

The impact of borderline personality disorder on family members of persons with BPD is articulated best by family members themselves. Despite an increase in research demonstrating more hopeful outcomes for the diagnosis, many mental health professionals remain unaware of recent advances in BPD treatments and therapies. This lack of awareness has dramatic consequences not only for patients, but for their families as well. This chapter describes the personal experiences of 12 family members with relatives with BPD. Expressed in one-hour semi-structured interviews, the family members' individual accounts centered on five key areas of their lives with their ill relative: (1) difficulty accessing current evidence-based knowledge about BPD and treatments; (2) a stigmatizing health care system; (3) prolonged hopelessness; (4) shrinking social networks; and (5) financial burdens. To improve the quality of services available to family members affected by BPD, social workers must educate themselves about the availability of professionals trained in BPD, BPD-specific treatment options, and BPD information resources.

Evaluation of a psychoeducational group intervention for family and friends of youth with borderline personality disorder

“…Parents of daughters diagnosed with BPD reported experiencing significant burden in multiple domains that include emotional and physical health problems and marital difficulties [10]. Qualitative studies have also highlighted the chronic and traumatic stress, burden, prolonged hopelessness, shrinking social support, and feelings of grief, guilt and distress experienced by relatives of individuals with BPD [11–14]. One study has even suggested that greater knowledge of BPD is associated with increased family members’ burden, distress and depression [15], raising concerns about the source, accuracy and value of information family members receive abut BPD.…”

Factors Associated with Distress in Caregivers of People with Personality Disorders

“…Although the view that parents can cause their children to develop a personality disorder has largely fallen out of favour, many caregivers still identify stigma and prejudice as major sources of burden (Bauer et al, 2012). Similarly, family members have reported feeling blamed by mental health practitioners, who questioned the quality of the client's early upbringing (Buteau, Dawkins & Hoffman, 2008), or stigmatized and dismissed by mental health care staff (Dunne & Rogers, 2013). Some authors argue there is a unique and additional stigma associated with having BPD, above and beyond other mental illnesses, such that families experience surplus stigma when a member has BPD (Krawitz, Reeve, Hoffman, & Fruzzetti, 2016).…”

“…Clinicians' perceptions. Those caring for people with personality disorders have largely indicated dissatisfaction with their loved ones' clinicians and treatment (Bauer et al, 2012;Buteau et al, 2008;Dunne & Rogers, 2013;Goodman et al, 2011). There are a number of factors that may give rise to this frustration, including clinicians' negative perceptions of those with personality disorders.…”

“…The biggest strain endorsed by one sample of caregivers was on their family relationships (Bailey & Grenyer, 2014), and another study found that 70% of personality disorder carers worried about the burden the illness placed on other members of the family (Bauer et al, 2012). Other areas of impact include physical health, with more than half of BPD caregivers reporting physical health strain (Goodman et al, 2011), and financial burden (Buteau et al, 2008;Dunne & Rogers, 2013). One study found that more than half of personality disorder carers experienced financial strain (Bauer et al, 2012), and another that the out-of-pocket costs of a BPD diagnosis was more than $14,000 per year, which increased further if the care-receiver was a victim of rape or had comorbid conduct disorder (Goodman et al, 2011).…”

Improving Family Functioning to (Hopefully) Improve Treatment Efficacy of Borderline Personality Disorder: An Opportunity Not to Dismiss

“…As a consequence of living with a BPD relative, family members often experience an emotional and financial burden [13] and may blame themselves for their relative’s illness or for not being able to do more to help [12, 14]. This can lead to emotional pain including anxiety, guilt, anger, frustration, despair, and hopelessness [12, 13, 15]. …”