J G M Scheirs1, S Bok. 1. Tilburg University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Psychology and Health, The Netherlands. J.G.M.Scheirs@uvt.nl
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caregivers or relatives of mental patients often show increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated whether this is also the case for caregivers of patients with borderline personality disorder. METHODS: The Symptom Check List (SCL-90) was administered to 64 Dutch volunteers, who were either biologically related (parents or siblings) or biologically unrelated caregivers (partners or friends) of patients with borderline personality disorder. RESULTS: The group of caregivers as a whole scored higher on all symptom dimensions of the SCL-90 than the general population. When controlling for caregiver sex and age, as well as for patient sex, there were no significant differences between the biologically related and unrelated caregiver groups on any dimension. CONCLUSIONS: The results are in line with findings concerning distress in caregivers of patients suffering from personality disorders in general, posttraumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. The mechanism behind the increased levels of distress in our sample is not clear, however. Either exposure to the problematic behaviour of the patient, selective mating or a combination of both might have been responsible for the effect.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caregivers or relatives of mental patients often show increased levels of psychological distress. This study investigated whether this is also the case for caregivers of patients with borderline personality disorder. METHODS: The Symptom Check List (SCL-90) was administered to 64 Dutch volunteers, who were either biologically related (parents or siblings) or biologically unrelated caregivers (partners or friends) of patients with borderline personality disorder. RESULTS: The group of caregivers as a whole scored higher on all symptom dimensions of the SCL-90 than the general population. When controlling for caregiver sex and age, as well as for patient sex, there were no significant differences between the biologically related and unrelated caregiver groups on any dimension. CONCLUSIONS: The results are in line with findings concerning distress in caregivers of patients suffering from personality disorders in general, posttraumatic stress disorder or schizophrenia. The mechanism behind the increased levels of distress in our sample is not clear, however. Either exposure to the problematic behaviour of the patient, selective mating or a combination of both might have been responsible for the effect.
Authors: Mirra R Seigerman; Jennifer K Betts; Carol Hulbert; Ben McKechnie; Victoria K Rayner; Martina Jovev; Sue M Cotton; Louise McCutcheon; Catharine McNab; Emma Burke; Andrew M Chanen Journal: Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul Date: 2020-07-22
Authors: Jessie Pearce; Martina Jovev; Carol Hulbert; Ben McKechnie; Louise McCutcheon; Jennifer Betts; Andrew M Chanen Journal: Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul Date: 2017-03-24
Authors: Jennifer Betts; Jessie Pearce; Ben McKechnie; Louise McCutcheon; Sue M Cotton; Martina Jovev; Victoria Rayner; Mirra Seigerman; Carol Hulbert; Catharine McNab; Andrew M Chanen Journal: Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul Date: 2018-07-25
Authors: Daniel Flynn; Mary Kells; Mary Joyce; Paul Corcoran; Sarah Herley; Catalina Suarez; Padraig Cotter; Justina Hurley; Mareike Weihrauch; John Groeger Journal: Borderline Personal Disord Emot Dysregul Date: 2017-08-30