Perceptions of contradictory communication from parental figures by adults with borderline personality disorder: a preliminary study.

This study investigated a hypothesized correlation between contradictory responses from parental figures perceived in present-day interactions by adult subjects and the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). One hundred subjects were given a questionnaire designed to assess the frequency of perceived parental response patterns divided into appropriate, conflicting, polarized, and neglectful categories. The BPD and a group subthreshold for the disorder endorsed significantly more conflicting and fewer appropriate responses for the first parental figure rated than did both patient control subjects and normal control subjects without BPD; a trend toward similar results was found for the second parental figure also.