Self-injurious acts in patients with bordeline personality disorders

Abstract

Results of the empirical study on the relation between emotion regulation factors and the peculiarity of self-injurious behavior in clinical and nonclinical groups are reported. Participants of the research (N=68) comprised two groups: inpatients with borderline personality disorders (N=33; М=44,9, SD=10,8) and control group (N=35; M=39,3, SD=11,2). Methods: the scale of reasons for self-injurious behavior (Polskaya, 2014), Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Garnefski et al., 2002, Rasskazova et al., 2011), the Ways of Coping Questionnaire (Lazarus, Folkman, 1988, Kryukova, Kuftyak, 2004) and Emotional Intelligence questionnaire (Lyusin, 2009). Conclusion: 1) self-injuries are observed both in clinical and nonclinical group; in patients with borderline personality disorders they are related to a certain mental state and/or a wish to change it, whereas in control group self-injuries possess a reactive character; 2) such strategies of cognitive emotion regulation as decreased ability to plan, rumination and catastrophizing, can be regarded as markers of self-injurious behavior; 3) self-injury in patients with borderline personality disorders is related to decreased understanding of emotion, whereas in control group it is related to emotion management and expression; 4) self-injury can execute antisuicidal function and be reinforced by constructive strategies of emotion regulation in the structure of coping behavior or defense mechanisms.