A Preliminary Report on Defenses and Conflicts Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder

Dados Bibliográficos

ID8333328
AutoresJ Christopher Perry (0000-0003-2254-7480, 1493 Cambridge Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139), Steven H Cooper (0009-0007-8575-6294, 1493 Cambridge Street Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139)
Ano1986
Volume34
Fascículo4
Páginas863-893
Data de publicação1986-08-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of the American Psychoanalytic Association (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0003-0651 • E-ISSN: 1941-2460
EditoraSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/000306518603400405
PMID3819306
OpenAlexW2066327707
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas18
Referências citadas14

The authors present preliminary psychodynamic findings from a naturalistic study of borderline personality disorder compared to antisocial personality disorder and bipolar type II (depression with hypomania) affective disorder. An independent psychodynamic interview of each subject was videotaped, from which ratings were made of the presence of 22 defense mechanisms and 11 psychodynamic conflicts. A factor analysis of ratings from 81 subjects supported the separation of borderline (splitting, projective identification) from narcissistic defenses (devaluation, omnipotence, idealization, mood-incongruent denial). While certain groups of defenses were associated with each diagnosis, defense ratings did not significantly discriminate the three diagnostic groups, suggesting a limit to their diagnostic value. Among 27 subjects rated, borderline personality was strongly associated with two conflicts: separation-abandonment, and a global conflict over the experience and expression of emotional needs and anger. Antisocial personality was psychodynamically distinct and more heterogeneous. Bipolar type II was associated with two hypothesized depressive conflicts: dominant other and dominant goal. Chronic depression, which was more common in both personality disorder groups than in bipolar type II, was associated with a third depressive conflict, overall gratification inhibition. Overall, conflicts were powerful discriminators of the three diagnostic groups. The heuristic value of these findings is discussed

Borderline personality disorder · Developmental psychology · Personality · Personality disorders · Psychoanalysis · Sadistic personality disorder · Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Clinical Psychology · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Psychology