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Attachment and borderline personality disorder: implications for psychotherapy
Kenneth N Levy1, Kevin B Meehan, Michal Weber
1Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA. klevy@psu.edu
Psychopathology
|April 2, 2005
Summary
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is linked to attachment issues. This study found distinct attachment patterns in BPD patients, including avoidant and preoccupied styles, impacting anger and abandonment concerns.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
- Attachment Theory
Background:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is increasingly understood through attachment impairments.
- Key BPD features like unstable relationships and fear of abandonment may stem from attachment disorganization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine self-reported attachment patterns in patients diagnosed with BPD.
- To investigate the relationship between attachment styles and BPD symptomatology.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-nine outpatients with BPD, diagnosed via the International Personality Disorders Examination, completed attachment measures.
- Utilized the Relationship Questionnaire, Relationship Style Questionnaire, and Experiences in Close Relationships inventory.
Main Results:
- Factor analysis identified three attachment patterns: avoidant, preoccupied, and fearfully preoccupied.
- The preoccupied group showed heightened reactions to abandonment fears.
- The avoidant group exhibited higher inappropriate anger ratings.
Conclusions:
- Attachment scales are suitable for assessing BPD samples, retaining factor structure and inter-relationships.
- Attachment patterns in BPD differ from typical samples, necessitating developmental psychopathology models.
- Further research is needed on the prognostic and prescriptive significance of attachment for BPD treatment.