Interpersonal and emotional experiences of social interactions in borderline personality disorder.
GENERAL AIM: We examined interpersonal experiences of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) using a time-contingent diary procedure to collect information about social interactions for 7 days.


METHODS
We examined the (1) quantity of social interactions and (2) interpersonal and emotional experiences during social interactions for patients with BPD (BPD; N = 42) compared with those with another personality disorder (OPD; N = 46) and those without significant personality pathology (NOPD; N = 23).


RESULTS
Results suggested that BPD patients have fewer social contacts compared with those in the NOPD group. Additionally, the BPD patients characterized their social interactions as more disagreeable, ambivalent, angry, empty, and sad compared with the OPD and NOPD groups. BPD patients reported experiencing more anxiety and less positive affect compared with the NOPD but not the OPD group.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings highlight aspects of day-to-day interpersonal functioning that are specific to BPD.
Stepp
Stephanie D
SD
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. steppsd@upmc.edu
Pilkonis
Paul A
PA
Yaggi
Kirsten E
KE
Morse
Jennifer Q
JQ
Feske
Ulrike
U
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008838:Microcomputers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales