Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-178).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. John Patrick Kline, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Oct. 6, 2003). Includes bibliographical references.

The proposed study has one central purpose, to determine if the Comprehensive System (CS), an empirically valid system for scoring and interpreting the Rorschach Inkblot Test, can effectively discriminate between individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and those diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Previously conducted, peer-reviewed studies since 1985 have uncovered CS variables that were statistically significant in BPD and in bipolar groups when examined separately. However, there have been relatively few such investigations, making the body of research with CS variables small in this area. It would be valuable to know whether or not the CS is a useful tool in distinguishing between these two disorders. A second goal of the current study is to uncover variables that help diagnose both bipolar disorder and BPD as separate entities. Some CS variables have not been previously studied with regard bipolar disorder or BPD. Additional research with variables known to be useful in identifying these disorders will cross-validate findings that already exist. Moreover, if the Rorschach could help classify individuals with these disorders and uncover distinct differences between them in their test results, these data would also lend support for the idea that these are indeed two different disorders, a tertiary goal of the current study. / text

Narcissism is an incomplete stage of development causing narcissistic rage and injury to oneself and others. The narcissistic self is one of humiliation and of being powerless. A phenomenological hermeneutic research format was used to investigate and understand the lived experience of men who have been abusive and are transforming their narcissism. The phenomenon being investigated was approached with respect and sensitivity in understanding the actual lived experiences of the co-researchers. Under this template, research interviews were conducted with six male co-researchers, which produced eight themes. A summary of the findings was provided along with a look at the limitations of this study and implications for counseling that this study may have. My hypothesis is that the incomplete development of the narcissistic person can be overcome through the restoration of feeling, and also through realization of one’s most deepest and essential nature. / vii, 177 leaves ; 29 cm.

No description available.

Borderline and schizotypal personality constructs were compared as predictors of dissociation for 971 nonclinical university undergraduates who completed 11 self-report behavior inventories. Structural equation modeling and multiple regression were used to (a) test the hypothesis that the quantitative interaction of borderline and schizotypal constructs would be the strongest predictor of dissociation and (b) evaluate each construct alone as well as their additive effect for prediction of dissociation. The interaction hypothesis was rejected; the quantitative interaction was only a substantively trifling and statistically nonsignificant predictor of dissociation. In a commonality analysis, the additive borderline and schizotypal effect was equivalent to schizotypy alone and marginally larger than the borderline effect alone for the prediction of dissociation. However, all three effects separately were substantial predictors; thus, dissociation is an untenable discriminator for the borderline and schizotypal constructs. Finally, when schizotypy was compared directly to the borderline construct such that the common variance was distributed dependent upon comparative predictive power (i.e., beta weights), schizotypy was greatly superior to the borderline construct for dissociative predictability. Consequently, reconsideration of the existing paradigm that dissociation is more strongly associated with the borderline construct than with schizotypy is warranted. / Department of Psychological Science

Background: Borderline personality disorder is a complex mental disorder that has become increasingly common in those individuals who seek care today. These individuals are often perceived as being different by society and the health care system, because of the prejudice and lack of knowledge that exists around mental illness and borderline personality disorder. Aim: Highlighting adults experiences of living with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Method: Literature study with qualitative approach. Seven articles were chosen to be read, reviewed and analyzed. Results: Three categories with seven subcategories appeared. Experiences of emotional pain, feelings of not being like everyone else and experiences of social interactions. Conclusion: The results show in general negative experiences in several different aspects. Feelings of hope for the future were countered with suicidal thoughts and self-destructive behavior. Negative emotions in behavior from society but also from health professionals, stigma that constantly surrounded their life-world, an attitude which in most cases is due to large gaps in knowledge. The authors included research that was done 20 years ago, and the results of this study show that the response and experience of the individuals has not been changed. This means that the knowledge is not as high as it should be and the skills of health professionals are not as current as it should be. Future research should focus on how health professionals should be able to raise their level of knowledge and respond to individuals in a more customized way.

No description available.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex psychiatric condition whose severity is compounded by the heterogeneous psychological functioning of those who suffer from the disorder. This heterogeneity has made the identification of a unified treatment strategy difficult and attempts to resolve this variation within the disorder by investigating subtypes of BPD have been made. However, the clinical utility of this approach has not been examined. The major object of this research project was to investigate the presence of subtypes of BPD and to examine whether treatment effectiveness varied as a function of subtype. Data from 61, predominantly female, participants with BPD were entered into a cluster analysis. Using variables that are central to cognitive behavioural models of BPD and have been shown to be heterogeneously distributed in previous BPD samples, two subgroups were identified and defined on the basis of whether participants attributed the causes o f negative events as being themselves or other people. Consistent with hypotheses, the subgroup with a tendency to blame others for negative events showed far lower levels of change between admission and discharge than the subgroup who blamed themselves for negative events, on both measures of statistical and clinical significance. Alternate means of identifying participants who optimally responded to the intervention were explored and a cluster analysis identified two groups of participants that were separated on the basis of whether they had shown clinically significant change on a range of variables. It was found that data from admission to the program could successfully predict which participants would belong in the optimal or mixed response groups upon discharge. Taken together, the findings of this research project suggest that not only can theoretically valid subgroups of BPD be identified, but that they have clinical utility in understanding participants' response to intervention. Further, the findi ngs suggest that profiles of clinical change can be identified and predicted. The findings of this research project are discussed with respect to their methodological limitations, suggestions for future research, and their implications for both theory and practice.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious psychiatric disorder characterised by turbulent interpersonal relationships, impaired self image, impulsivity, and a recurrent pattern of unstable affect which is usually evident by early adulthood. It has a community prevalence rate of two per cent, and approximately nine per cent of people diagnosed with BPD commit suicide. This suggests that BPD has one of the highest lethality rates of all psychiatric disorders. The course of the disorder shows a steady improvement over the course of early adulthood with the majority of cases remitting by middle age. This positive but incomplete long-term recovery is thought to be a naturalistic outcome that is independent of treatment effect. The reported study sought to test selected components of a multidimensional developmental neuropsychological model of executive functioning in BPD. The model proposed that BPD is characterised by impairments to four neuropsychological executive functions. These include working memory, response inhibition, affective-attentional bias, and problem-solving. The model further proposed that impaired executive functioning in BPD occurs as a result of the failure of ‘experience-dependent’ maturation of orbitofrontal structures. These structures are closely associated with the development of the ‘cognitive executive’. The study incorporated a cross-sectional design to analyse data from a BPD group, a Depressed Control Group, and a Medical Control Group. The overall findings of the study returned limited support for the original hypotheses. There was no evidence of deficits in working memory, response-inhibition, or problem-solving. In contrast, the BPD group returned some evidence of deficits in affective-attentional bias. Therefore, the results suggest that executive functioning remains largely intact in BPD. This also suggests that people with BPD have the working memory resources necessary to facilitate abstract cognition, have the capacity to effectively plan and execute future-oriented acts, and are able to perform appropriate problem-solving functions. These problem-solving returns are also particularly significant because a number of the tasks utilised in the study are known to be associated with so-called ‘frontal-executive’ function. These unremarkable findings challenge the view that people with BPD might experience some form of subtle neurological impairment associated with frontal-lobe compromise. The Stroop measure of affective-attentional bias provided the only supportive evidence for the proposed model, and these findings can be accounted for by at least two different explanations. The first suggests that BPD might be characterised by a hypervigilant attentional set. The specific cause of hypervigilance in BPD is unknown, but some candidate factors appear to be the often-reported abuse histories of borderlines, insecure attachment histories, and deficits in parental bonding. The second interpretation suggests that the Stroop findings reflect a form of ‘response conflict’ in which BPD participants experience difficulties overriding tasks that rely on the enunciation of automatic neural routines. As a result of these findings, further research on the role of arousal, priming, hypervigilance, and response-conflict in BPD is required. It is likely that the Stroop findings reflect a basic, ‘hard-wired’ attentional mechanism that consolidates by early adolescence at the latest. As a result, the Stroop findings have implications for both the prevention and treatment of BPD. A number of prevention strategies could be developed to address the attentional issues identified in the present study. These include assisting children to more effectively regulate arousal and affect, and assisting parents to communicate affectively with children in order to enhance self-regulation. The treatment implications suggest that interventions directed at affective-attentional processes are required, and further suggest the need for new pharmacotherapies and psychological treatments to modify dysfunctional attentional process. Affective neuroscience will have an increasingly important role to play in the understanding of BPD, and the next quarter century is likely to witness exciting advances in understanding this most problematic of disorders.