The Course of Adult Experiences of Abuse in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder and Axis II Comparison Subjects: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study

Abstract

The first objective of this study was to assess the rates of adult experiences of verbal, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse reported by borderline patients and axis II comparison subjects over ten years of prospective follow-up. The second objective was to determine time-to-cessation, recurrence, and new onset of each type of abuse. The Abuse History Interview was administered to 290 borderline patients and 72 axis II comparison subjects at baseline. The AHI Follow-up Version was administered at five contiguous follow-up waves. Over ten years of follow-up, the rates of all four types of abuse declined significantly for borderline patients. For borderline patients, rates of cessation were high for all types of abuse (>90%). However, recurrences and new onsets of verbal and emotional abuse were relatively common (>60%). Contrastingly, they were relatively uncommon for physical and sexual abuse (<30%), suggesting that verbal and emotional abuse represent more stable forms of abuse.

Sexuality‐related issues in borderline personality disorder: A comprehensive review

“…These findings suggest that some adult sexual victimization may represent a dissociative reenactment by placing victims in new potential hazardous situations (Middleton, ). Accordingly, there should be prospective studies of sexual re‐victimization (adult rape experiences) and related PTSD in BPD patients reporting CSA as a result of risky sexual behaviours across adulthood (McGowan, King, Frankenburg, Fitzmaurice, & Zanarini, ; Zanarini, Frankenburg, Reich, Hennen, & Silk, ; Zanarini et al, ; Zanarini et al, ). Concerning the treatments of sexual problems, clinical trials for sexual problems among BPD patients are still scarce.…”

Prospective associations between features of borderline personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, and aggression.

“…When individuals with BPD engage in aggressive behavior, research suggests it is often in situations of conflict with intimate partners or in other close relationships (Newhill et al, 2009; Sansone & Sansone, 2012). Among both men and women, BPD has been associated with heightened risk for both perpetrating and being a victim of intimate partner violence, nonintimate assaults, child maltreatment, and more subtle forms of aggression such as psychological and relational aggression or property damage (McGowan, King, Frankenburg, Fitzmaurice, & Zanarini, 2012; Ostrov, Hart, Kamper, & Godleski, 2011; Perepletchikova, Ansell, & Axelrod, 2012; Sansone & Sansone, 2012). …”

Prevalence and course of sexual relationship difficulties in recovered and non‐recovered patients with borderline personality disorder over 16 years of prospective follow‐up

“…This may be because of emotionally unstable and chaotic relationships that non‐recovered borderline patients may be experiencing. In addition, research has shown that borderline patients may be vulnerable to put themselves in sexually risky situations and have higher risk of being sexually victimized in their adulthood (Zanarini et al, ; McGowan, King, Frankenburg, Fitzmaurice, & Zanarini, ). Sansone and his colleagues () found that outpatients with BPD symptomatology were more likely to report date rape than outpatients without this symptom profile.…”