Intensity and variability of interpersonal problems in people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder: An ecological momentary assessment study

Abstract

This paper examines the interpersonal difficulties that are prevalent in individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), a condition that affects an estimated 1.8% to 5% of the global population (Winsper et al., 2020; Chapman et al., 2022; Gunderson, 2018). The research focuses on four key areas of the interpersonal difficulties: feelings of rejection, alienation, variability in interpersonal patterns, and frequency of interpersonal conflicts (Gunderson, 2014). Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a method involving real-time data collection across daily natural settings, this study captured interpersonal interactions over a 5-day period, with participants responding to prompts 13 times daily. By comparing data from a BPD group to a healthy control group, the research aims to quantify differences in the frequency, variability, and intensity of interpersonal challenges specific to BPD. The central question of this research addresses how these patterns differ across the areas of rejection, alienation, and conflict between individuals with BPD and those without. The findings from this study may provide that there are in fact differences between the healthy population and the BPD individuals.