Affective and neural mechanisms of how identity dysfunction in borderline personality disorder may interfere with building positive relationships.

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) often hold pervasive and negative self-views and experience feelings of low connectedness toward others despite effective treatment. This study aimed to identify neural and affective mechanisms of identity disturbance in BPD that contribute to difficulties in relating to others. Participants diagnosed with BPD ( = 34) and nonclinical controls (NCC; = 35) completed a within-subject social feedback task inside a magnetic resonance imaging scanner.

Gender differences in treatment effectiveness for borderline personality disorder.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychological disorder that is diagnosed predominantly in females yet is equally as prevalent in males. Many empirical research studies on the treatment of BPD have been conducted with only female participants. We aimed to investigate the impact of current treatments for BPD on men compared to women.

Gender bias in assessing narcissistic personality: Exploring the utility of the ICD-11 dimensional model.

Objectives: Narcissistic personality disorder as captured in categorical diagnostic systems (e.g., DSM-5) emphasizes grandiose features more associated with masculine norms and under-emphasizes vulnerable features more associated with femininity.

Narcissistic personality disorder in the ICD-11: Severity and trait profiles of grandiosity and vulnerability.

Modern diagnostic and classification frameworks such as the ICD-11 and DSM-5-AMPD have adopted a dimensional approach to diagnosing personality disorder using a dual "severity" and "trait" model. As narcissistic personality has historically struggled to be adequately captured in dominant diagnostic systems, this study investigated the utility of the new ICD-11 framework in capturing diverse narcissistic expressions. Participants were mental health clinicians (N = 180, 67% female, age = 38.

How negative self-views may interfere with building positive relationships: An experimental analogue of identity dysfunction in borderline personality disorder.

Introduction: A disturbed, negative sense of self is associated with various interpersonal difficulties and is characteristic of disorders such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). Negative self-views may affect an individuals' ability to build positive relationships, including a therapeutic relationship. However, it is not yet well understood how identity disturbances give rise to interpersonal difficulties.

Implementing a whole-of-service stepped care approach to personality disorder treatment: Impact of training and service redesign on clinician attitudes and skills.

Personality disorders are a highly prevalent mental health condition. Historically, clinician attitudes have been negative, and only a small number have specialised training. This study evaluated clinician attitudes and confidence in working with people with personality disorder following the combination of training and implementation of a stepped care whole-of-service approach.

Borderline personality disorder and stigma: Lived experience perspectives on helpful and hurtful language.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental health disorder that is subject to significant stigmatisation. With language being a key reinforcer of stigma, this co-produced study aims to explore the language use regarding BPD and its effect on those with BPD and carers. Recommendations to reduce stigmatisation are provided for both clinicians and researchers.

Efficacy and recommendations for the delivery of telehealth psychotherapy for people with personality disorder.

Objective: There are few studies on the efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapy conducted via telehealth technology for people with personality disorder. This study aims to examine clinician perspectives on virtual psychotherapy.

Method: Twenty multidisciplinary mental health clinicians (85% female, average age 42 years) with at least 2 years of experience in telehealth psychotherapy contributed quantitative and qualitative ratings of acceptability and efficacy of this modality.

Diagnosing borderline personality disorder: Reports and recommendations from people with lived experience.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental health condition marked by impairments in self and interpersonal functioning. Stigma from health staff may often result in a reluctance to diagnose, impacting recovery trajectories. Qualitative interviews were conducted with participants (N = 15; M Age = 36.

Aberrant neural network activation during reliving of autobiographical memories in adolescent depression.

Background: Adolescents with depression exhibit negative biases in autobiographical memory with detrimental consequences for their self-concept and well-being. Investigating how adolescents relive positive autobiographical memories and activate the underlying neural networks could reveal mechanisms that drive such biases. This study investigated neural networks when reliving positive and neutral memories, and how neural activity is modulated by valence and vividness in adolescents with and without depression.

Salivary testosterone and cortisol levels in borderline personality disorder before and after a 12-week group dialectical behavior therapy intervention.

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a chronic, debilitating, and difficult to treat condition. BPD has recently been linked to steroid hormone dysregulation and medical conditions characterized by disturbed androgen metabolism. This study aimed to investigate cortisol and testosterone levels in BPD, and changes in hormones following psychological treatment.

Patient perspectives on non-response to psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: a qualitative study.

Background: Despite increasing evidence for the effectiveness of psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), estimates show that approximately half of those in treatment do not clinically improve or reach reliable change criteria. There are limited qualitative descriptions of treatment factors associated with non-response from the perspectives of those struggling to improve.

Method: Eighteen people (72.

What aspects of mindfulness and emotion regulation underpin self-harm in individuals with borderline personality disorder?

Background: Self-harm presents significant risk for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Both self-harm and BPD are associated with deficits in mindfulness and emotion dysregulation. Previous research suggests that thought suppression and emotional inexpressivity may underpin self-harm in people with BPD, suggesting potential links to self-harm functions common for those with BPD.

Sex differences in borderline personality disorder: A scoping review.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is often perceived to be a female-predominant disorder in both research and clinical contexts. Although there is growing recognition of possible sex differences, the current literature remains fragmented and inconclusive. This scoping review aimed to synthesize available research evidence on potential sex differences in BPD.

Evaluation of a skills-based peer-led art therapy online-group for people with emotion dysregulation.

Objective: We developed and piloted a novel art-based online skills program led by a peer mental health professional with lived experience of complex mental health, including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Key challenges of living with BPD and emotion dysregulation were addressed through artmaking informed by a dialectical framework and skills, to evaluate acceptability and efficacy.

Method: A structured, manualised 2-hour weekly arts-based skills program was piloted for people with BPD over 18 weeks.

Improving treatment outcomes for borderline personality disorder: what can we learn from biomarker studies of psychotherapy?

Purpose Of Review: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe and common psychiatric disorder and though evidence-based psychotherapies are effective, rates of treatment nonresponse are as high as 50%. Treatment studies may benefit from interdisciplinary approaches from neuroscience and genetics research that could generate novel insights into treatment mechanisms and tailoring interventions to the individual.

Recent Findings: We provide a timely update to the small but growing body of literature investigating neurobiological and epigenetic changes and using biomarkers to predict outcomes from evidence-based psychotherapies for BPD.

Personal agency and borderline personality disorder: a longitudinal study of outcomes.

Background: Low personal agency is the concept of attributing successes and failures to external factors rather than personal characteristics. Previous research supported links between low personal agency and symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). The present research followed patients in an outpatient dialectical behavioural therapy (DBT) group from intake to 12 months follow up to examine the impact of personal agency on outcome.

A bifactor model of personality organization in adolescence: the validity of a brief screening measure assessing severity and core domains of functioning.

Background: Both the latest edition of the DSM-5 as well as the new ICD-11 have established a new focus in the diagnosis of personality disorders: the assessment of personality functioning. This recent shift in focus converges with long-standing psychodynamic conceptualizations of personality pathology, particularly Kernberg's object relations model. Although a significant amount of research supports these models in adults, much less is known about the validity of these frameworks in youth.

How Much Training Do We Need? Assessing the Validity and Interrater Reliability of the PDM-2's Psychodiagnostic Chart among Less Experienced Clinicians.

The (PDM-2) has emerging evidence supporting its clinical utility, yet one of the main limitations remains the conjecture that considerable training and experience is required. It also remains unclear how the PDM-2 framework compares with current DSM measures of personality pathology such as the Level of Personality Functioning Scale (LPFS). The aim of the present study is to examine these issues by testing whether less clinically experienced second year doctoral psychology students are able to reliably assess patients' level of personality pathology using the PDM-2's Psychodiagnostic Chart (PDC-2), and to investigate the convergence between the PDC-2 and the LPFS.

To love and work: A longitudinal study of everyday life factors in recovery from borderline personality disorder.

Although recovery from borderline personality disorder (BPD) is common, not all individuals improve over time. This study sought to examine the features that contribute to response or non-response for individuals at different stages of recovery from BPD over a longitudinal follow-up. Participants were individuals with a diagnosis of BPD that were followed up after 1 year of receiving psychological treatment.

Adolescent self-harm: Parents' experiences of supporting their child and help-seeking.

Self-harm in children and adolescents is a growing public health issue. Parents are forefront in identifying, responding to and supporting their child to seek help. A sequential mixed-method study which included an online survey ( = 37) and a semi-structured interview ( = 10) was conducted to understand parents' experiences of supporting and accessing help for their child.

Helping patients master core conflictual relationship themes in psychotherapy.

An important component of case formulation is to understand the patient's difficulties in the context of their relationships. The Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method provides a clinical guide for understanding the narratives of relationship conflicts told during therapy. We follow the case of Barbara, a 60 year old with a long history of chronic shyness.

Living with pathological narcissism: core conflictual relational themes within intimate relationships.

Background: Pathological narcissism is a severe mental health condition that includes disturbances in interpersonal functioning. Interpersonal difficulties by those affected include aggressive, domineering, cold and coercive behaviours which often result in strong negative reactions from others. We sought to examine the moment-to-moment patterns that emerge within close relationships between intimate partners and family members.

Parental Response Style to Adolescent Self-Harm: Psychological, Social and Functional Impacts.

Adolescent self-harm is a significant public health issue. We aimed to understand how parent stress response styles to their child's self-harm affects their wellbeing and functioning and the wider family. Thirty-seven participants in Australia (parents; 92% female) completed a mixed methods survey regarding their adolescent child's self-harm.