Self-invalidation in borderline personality disorder: A content analysis of patients' verbalizations. (3rd October 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Koivisto, Maaria; Melartin, Tarja; Lindeman, Sari
• Is Part Of: Psychotherapy research. Volume 32:Number 7(2022)
• Page Start: 922
• Page End: 935
• Publication Date: 2022-10-03
• Subjects: Borderline personality disorder -- self-invalidation -- self-stigma -- qualitative research -- content analysis; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Research -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychothérapie -- Périodiques; Psychothérapie -- Recherche -- Périodiques; 616.891405
• DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2022.2025627
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-3307

Abstract

Abstract : Objective: The ability to trust one's own perceptions is crucial for psychological well-being and growth. The relevance of its opposite, self-invalidation (SI), to the psychopathology of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is emphasized in many contemporary theories of evidence-based treatments for BPD. Empirical research on this topic remains scarce, however. This study aimed to describe manifestations of SI in individuals with BPD during a 40-session psychoeducational intervention based mainly on schema therapy. Method: Transcripts of videotaped group sessions were analyzed inductively using qualitative content analysis. Results: SI emerged as a recurrent, ubiquitous phenomenon. The content analysis yielded three core categories of SI: (1) a self-critical and harsh attitude towards the self (subcategories reflected punitive internalizations that could engender fear-based inertia, self-erasing, submissive coping behavior, and temporal fluctuation in SI), (2) a deficient sense of normalcy, and self-doubt, and (3) self-stigma. We also found an association of SI with various dimensions of BPD, including difficulty in the identification of emotions, secondary emotional reactions such as guilt, shame, anger, and resentment, self-related and interpersonal problems, and suicidal urges. Conclusions: SI is a detrimental cognitive-emotional process relevant to BPD that merits treatment. Efforts to reduce self-stigma, a pernicious aspect of SI, are imperative.