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Studies using the Thought Control Questionnaire (TCQ; Wells & Davies, 1994) suggest that the tendency to use self-punishment (e.g., shouting at oneself) in order to control unpleasant internal experiences (e.g., cognitive and emotional) is associated with psychopathology. To evaluate the role of self-punishment in borderline personality disorder (BPD), we first examined whether TCQ scales, including Self-Punishment, were different among adults with BPD (n = 31) when compared to those with other personality disorders (OPD; n = 24), elevated symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD; n = 24), and healthy controls (n = 105). Findings indicated that Self-Punishment was elevated in the BPD group relative to other groups. Next, Self-Punishment was examined as a potential mediator in the relationship between negative affectivity and BPD symptom severity in all participants. Results indicated that Self-Punishment did not mediate this relationship, but did account for significant variance in BPD symptoms over and above negative affectivity. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by problems regulating the experience and expression of internal experiences, including cognitions and emotions (Linehan, 1993). Several studies examining affect regulation collectively suggest that attempts to escape, avoid, or otherwise control aversive emotions and cognitions are associated with BPD (Bijttebier & Vertommen. 1999; Cheavens et al., 2005; Rosenthal, Cheavens, Lejuez, & Lynch, 2005: Yen. Zlotnick, & Costello, 2002). To advance treatments for individuals with BPD, it may be useful to clarify whether specific maladaptive strategies for regulating or controlling affect are associated with BPD when compared with other forms of psychopathology. The purpose of the present study was to compare groups of individuals from a community sample diagnosed with BPD. other personality disorders (OPD), elevated symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD), and no diagnosed psychopathology on several strategies lor regulating unpleasant cognitions.
Given that problems with affect regulation are widely considered a hallmark of BPD (Linehan, 1993), it is noteworthy that few studies have investigated specific regulatory processes in BPD. Laboratory studies have provided preliminary evidence for a neurobiological dysfunction underlying problems with affect in BPD (for a review, see Johnson, Hurley, Benkelfat, Herpertz, & Taber, 2003). In addition, recent studies have begun to elucidate how individuals with BPD report regulating or controlling unpleasant emotions and cognitions. For example, Yen...