Maladaptive daydreaming, emotional dysregulation, affect and internalized stigma in persons with borderline personality disorder and depression disorder: A network analysis

Abstract

Maladaptive daydreaming (MD) manifests through experiences of excessive, long‐lasting daydreaming resulting in significant suffering, including isolation, distress and shame. Considering that one of its functions is a distraction from painful feelings, it is linked with escapism and plays a significant role in disorders associated with emotional dysregulation, maintaining negative symptoms, including internalized stigmatization and social withdrawal. The current study aimed to examine cognitive (internalized stigma), affective (affect, anhedonia, emotional dysregulation) and behavioural (escapism) aspects of MD in borderline personality disorder (BPD) and depression groups. The sample consisted of 188 persons, including 102 individuals with BPD. The results showed higher scores in emotional dysregulation, internalized stigma and escapism in the BPD group compared to the depression group; the subgroups did not vary in MD rates. The network analysis revealed significant differences between groups in variables dynamics, with links between MD and self‐suppression escapism, negative affect in the BPD group and MD with self‐suppression escapism and social withdrawal in the depression group. Emotionally dysregulation and internalized stigma factors posed as the most robust expected influence components in both networks, suggesting that the cognitive and affective factors, not strictly behavioural, are pivotal for one's functioning and regulation strategies in the groups studied. The current study allows for clinical implications in interventions focused on persons developing MD and emotional dysregulation symptoms, including persons with BPD and depression.

Navigating the Daydreamscape: An In-Depth Exploration of Maladaptive Daydreaming, Coping Strategies, and Mental Well-Being

“…Coping Skills as Potential Mediators: Unraveling the Interplay A fascinating perspective suggests that maladaptive daydreaming might in uence mental health outcomes through its impact on coping skills . Coping skills, as measured by widely used tools like the COPE inventory scale, emerge as crucial components in the complex interplay between maladaptive daydreaming and mental health (Pyszkowska et al, 2023). This perspective highlights the need to not only recognize the association between maladaptive daydreaming and mental health challenges but also to investigate the role of coping skills in mediating or moderating these relationships.…”

Recent advances in research on personality disorders

“…Two studies in this Special Issue investigated altered emotional patterns in borderline personality disorder. Pyszkowska et al (2023) studied in patients with borderline personality disorder and in patients with depression whether internalized stigmatization and emotional dysregulation may enhance avoidance strategies, including maladaptive daydreaming. Maladaptive daydreaming was associated with emotional dysregulation and negative attitudes towards oneself.…”