Psychological Assessment of a Sample of Relatives of People with Borderline Personality Disorder Compared to Relative of People without Psychological Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Background: To date, several evidence-based interventions have been created to help relatives of people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), but few studies have analyzed the clinical situation of the family members. The aim of this study was to explore the possible existence of clinical symptomatology in a sample of relatives of people with BPD and compare it to a sample of relatives of the general population. The second aim was to explore the personality of the relatives in order to determine whether they have dysfunctional personality traits or meet the diagnostic criteria for PD. Method: The sample consisted of a total of 106 relatives, 60.4% were mothers, and 39.6% were fathers. The sample of relatives of the clinical population was selected from relatives of patients attending a Specialized PD Unit for treatment. The sample of relatives of the normal population was obtained with the collaboration of third- and fourth-year psychology students. To test for differences between the two groups, Student's t tests were performed for quantitative and quasi-quantitative variables, and chi-square (χ2) tests were performed for categorical variables. In addition, Cohen's d was calculated as a measure of the effect size. Results: The results showed that family members of people with BPD present greater depressive and anxious symptomatology, higher levels of expressed emotion, and worse quality of life than the control group. In addition, a high percentage of the clinical sample (50%) met the diagnostic criteria for different Personality Disorders. Conclusions: These data suggest that relatives may need psychological help in various aspects. Therapists are therefore advised to bear in mind the importance of carrying out a psychological assessment of family members and, if necessary, to offer psychological intervention. It is crucial to invite the family to be part of the treatment, they are part of the solution. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04160871. Registered November 15th 2019.