Talking about borderline personality disorder, shaping care: The multiple doings of narratives

Abstract

AbstractThis article focuses on the narratives that circulate about borderline personality disorder (BPD) in health‐care settings in Australia and the effects such narratives can have on how people practice and seek out care. People with a BPD diagnosis frequently access health‐care services, often encountering stigma and discrimination. Drawing on narrative theory, we critically unpack the circulation and capacities of BPD narratives and the ways they can often contribute to poor and troubling experiences. This article is based on qualitative interviews with people living with a BPD diagnosis, as well as health practitioners who work with people with a BPD diagnosis. Our findings identified insidious and powerful BPD narratives that circulate in health‐care settings, particularly in short‐term, acute, or non‐specialist contexts, such as emergency departments and in‐patient units. These narratives influenced the ways that participants both practiced and sought out care. To improve health service quality for people with a BPD diagnosis, or those experiencing mental distress, it is important to challenge the sociocultural–political norms and relations that can influence approaches to care and practice. Disrupting and reframing negative BPD narratives and raising awareness about the impact of stories that are told about BPD have the potential to generate social change.