Family Structure as Recalled by Borderline Patients

Abstract

Research on the family of the borderline patient has been largely descriptive or anecdotal. This work was designed to provide data on the families of 26 patients fulfilling stringent criteria for borderline personality disorder. A standardized scoring instrument recorded the impressions of the adult borderline of his family experience during childhood and adolescence. The male parental figure was perceived as dominant significantly more often than the female figure. Female figures manifested significantly more affection toward the borderline child. Family relations tended to be perceived as deteriorating and to be more conflictual as the borderline patient aged. Results were discussed in terms of the developmental psychology, genetics, and existent family research on the borderline patient.