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Thought suppression mediates the relationship between negative affect and borderline personality disorder symptoms
M Zachary Rosenthal1, Jennifer S Cheavens, Carl W Lejuez
1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, 2213 Elba Street, Box 3026, Durham, NC 27710, USA. rosen025@mc.duke.edu
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|July 12, 2005
Summary
Intense negative emotions, not childhood sexual abuse, strongly predict borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. Thought suppression acts as a key strategy linking negative affect to BPD.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition.
- Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a known risk factor for BPD.
- The role of negative affect and thought suppression in BPD requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationships among negative affect, childhood sexual abuse (CSA), thought suppression, and BPD symptoms.
- To determine the predictive power of negative affect and CSA on BPD.
- To investigate the mediating role of thought suppression in the link between negative affect and BPD.
Main Methods:
- Community sample of 127 participants.
- Assessment of negative affect intensity/reactivity.
- Evaluation of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) history.
- Measurement of thought suppression strategies.
- Diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms.
Main Results:
- Negative affect intensity/reactivity was a stronger predictor of BPD symptoms than CSA.
- Higher thought suppression mediated the relationship between negative affect and BPD symptoms, even after controlling for CSA.
- These findings highlight the significant influence of negative emotionality.
Conclusions:
- Negative affectivity may be a more significant predictor of BPD symptoms than CSA.
- Chronic thought suppression may represent a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy in BPD.
- Understanding these relationships can inform targeted therapeutic interventions for BPD.