Aggressive behavior and self-harm in Borderline Personality Disorder: The role of impulsivity and emotion dysregulation in a sample of outpatients.
Impulsivity has often been related to aggressive and self-mutilative behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Many authors focused on the key role of emotion dysregulation in explaining vulnerability to dysfunctional behavior in BPD in addition to trait impulsivity. Furthermore, recent works have shed light on a gap in empirical research concerning the specific mechanisms by which a lack of affective regulation produces aggression proneness. The purpose of the study was to investigate the role of impulsivity and emotion dysregulation in determining vulnerability to aggression and deliberate self-harm in a sample of BPD outpatients. Enrolled patients with BPD (N =79) completed a comprehensive assessment for personality disorder symptoms, trait impulsivity, emotional dysregulation, aggressive and self - mutilative behavior. Trait impulsivity significantly predicted both aggressive and self-mutilative proneness. Furthermore, emotion dysregulation was found significantly to account for the vulnerability to aggression and self-injury, in addition to the variance explained by impulsivity. In conclusion, these findings support evidence that emotion dysregulation plays an important role in increasing the risk of dysfunctional behavior in impulsive BPD individuals.
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Viale Carlo Pepoli, 5, 40123 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: laura.terzi@studio.unibo.it.
Laura
L
Terzi
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences DIMEC, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy; Division of Psychology, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK; Studi Cognitivi, Milano, Italy. Electronic address: francesca.martino5@unibo.it.
Francesca
F
Martino
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences DIMEC, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: domenico.berardi@unibo.it.
Domenico
D
Berardi
Department of Mental Health and Addiction DSM-DP, Viale Carlo Pepoli, 5, 40123 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: biancamaria.bortolotti@ausl.bologna.it.
Biancamaria
B
Bortolotti
Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences DIBINEM, University of Bologna, Viale Carlo Pepoli, 5, 40123 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: anna.sasdelli@studio.unibo.it.
Anna
A
Sasdelli
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences DIMEC, University of Bologna, Via Massarenti, 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: marco.menchetti3@unibo.it.
Marco
M
Menchetti
D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D012652:Self Mutilation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*
Aggression; Emotional disturbances; Impulsive behavior; Personality assessment; Self-injurious behavior