In a new study, researchers found that people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are 13 times more likely to report childhood trauma than people without any mental health problems.
The analysis of data from 42 international studies of over 5,000 people showed that 71.1% of people who were diagnosed with serious health conditionsBorderline personality disorder, childhood trauma reported at least one traumatic childhood experience.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Manchester and elsewhere.
BPD is often a debilitating mental health problem that makes it hard for someone to control their emotions and impulses.
The disorder, often linked to self-harm and substance abuse, is hard to treat and linked to big costs to sufferers and society as a whole.
Some of the characteristics of this condition, such as experiencing extreme, overwhelming emotions over what might be seen to others as a minor issue, are common, but become chronic and exaggerated after childhood trauma.
The team focused on the effects of childhood trauma on adult mental health. They showed it is much more likely to be associated with BPD than mood disorders, psychosis, and other personality disorders.
The most common form of adverse experience reported by people with BPD was physical neglect at 48.9%, followed by emotional abuse at 42.5%, physical abuse at 36.4%, sexual abuse at 32.1% and emotional neglect at 25.3%.
The team says that during childhood and adolescence, the brain is still undergoing considerable development and people are also refining strategies to deal with the challenges of everyday life, and the negative feelings that come with them.
In some people who have experienced chronic, overwhelming stress in childhood, it is likely that these responses do not develop in the same way.
People can become more sensitive to ‘normal’ stress. They are sometimes unable to deal with intense negative thoughts and feelings, and they might resort to dangerous or unhelpful measures to feel better, such as taking drugs or self-harming.
This can lead to various mental health difficulties, including the problems commonly seen in people who receive a diagnosis of BPD.
The team found a strong link between childhood trauma and BPD, which is particularly large when emotional abuse and neglect were involved.
They hope these findings underline the importance of trauma-informed care for people accessing mental health services, where prevalence rates of BPD are high.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Filippo Varese from the University of Manchester.
The study is published in the journal Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia.
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