Resilience in borderline personality disorder: a scoping review

This review summarizes current research on resilience in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), its role in the development of BPD, and its impact on symptoms and recovery. Low resilience is considered a key factor contributing to emotional dysregulation and difficulty coping with adversity in BPD.

A scoping literature search identified 177 records, of which 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. Patients with BPD consistently exhibit lower resilience scores compared to mentally healthy control groups, with higher BPD features linked to reduced resilience. When compared to other mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder, individuals with BPD tend to show the lowest resilience levels. Additionally, resilience has been identified as a mediator between childhood maltreatment and BPD features. Treatment interventions like dialectical behavior therapy have been found to significantly improve resilience in patients with BPD.

The findings underline the importance of resilience regarding the development, symptoms, and treatment of BPD, with lower resilience linked to higher BPD features and a history of childhood adversity. Results also suggest that enhancing resilience, particularly through interventions such as dialectical behavior therapy, could be a valuable therapeutic target.