RESEARCH PAPER
Emotion regulation, depression and self-harming behaviours in people with borderline personality disorder: the moderating role of action vs. state orientation
1
SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wroclaw, Poland
2
Department of Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
3
Specialist Hospital Dr. J. Babinski, Krakow, Poland
Submission date: 2015-08-19
Final revision date: 2015-11-19
Acceptance date: 2015-11-29
Online publication date: 2016-01-11
Publication date: 2016-03-18
Current Issues in Personality Psychology 2016;4(1):41-49
KEYWORDS
depressionself-harmingbordeline personalityaction vs state orientationborderline personalityaction vs. state orientation
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Background
The aim of this research is to determine the level of emotion regulation, studied through the method of variable action orientation vs. state and its relationship with depressiveness and dimension of the reasons for living and self-harming behaviour of patients with borderline personality disorder.
Participants and procedure
The research studied 61 patients diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality of borderline type. The research used the Polish adaptation of tests to measure the action vs. state orientation (SSI-K), the self-harming behaviour (SHI), depression (BDI) and the reasons for living vs. suicidal tendency (RFL-I).
Results
In people with borderline personality disorder, the level of emotion regulation (action vs. state orientation), reasons for living and depression are predictors of self-harming behaviour. The experience of a depressive episode or lack thereof does not have a relationship with the increase of self-harming. Analysis of the interaction between variables showed that the reasons for living and the action orientation after failure are related to the reduction of self-harming behaviour in all subjects. In depressed people, state orientation is associated with an increase in the action orientation with decreased self-destructive behaviours.
Conclusions
High levels of reasons for living in interaction with the action orientation have a negative relationship with the self-harming behaviour of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Among those subjects, depressive patients, a statistically lower level of self-harm is related to the action orientation. These results suggest that therapeutic treatment is important to activate both reasons for living as well as action orientation as effective dimensions in preventing self-harming.
The aim of this research is to determine the level of emotion regulation, studied through the method of variable action orientation vs. state and its relationship with depressiveness and dimension of the reasons for living and self-harming behaviour of patients with borderline personality disorder.
Participants and procedure
The research studied 61 patients diagnosed with an emotionally unstable personality of borderline type. The research used the Polish adaptation of tests to measure the action vs. state orientation (SSI-K), the self-harming behaviour (SHI), depression (BDI) and the reasons for living vs. suicidal tendency (RFL-I).
Results
In people with borderline personality disorder, the level of emotion regulation (action vs. state orientation), reasons for living and depression are predictors of self-harming behaviour. The experience of a depressive episode or lack thereof does not have a relationship with the increase of self-harming. Analysis of the interaction between variables showed that the reasons for living and the action orientation after failure are related to the reduction of self-harming behaviour in all subjects. In depressed people, state orientation is associated with an increase in the action orientation with decreased self-destructive behaviours.
Conclusions
High levels of reasons for living in interaction with the action orientation have a negative relationship with the self-harming behaviour of patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Among those subjects, depressive patients, a statistically lower level of self-harm is related to the action orientation. These results suggest that therapeutic treatment is important to activate both reasons for living as well as action orientation as effective dimensions in preventing self-harming.
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