Childhood trauma and parental bonding among Japanese female patients with borderline personality disorder

The present study explored the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and childhood trauma and perceived parental behaviors among a sample of Japanese female outpatients. Participants were 45 female patients who were diagnosed with BPD and 45 female patients with a diagnosis of other nonorganic psychological disorders (aged 19 to 53). The participants completed surveys that assessed recollection of childhood abuse and neglect, perceived parental-rearing behaviors, and symptoms of BPD. MANOVAs, Pearson Correlations, and Logistic Regressions were conducted in order to analyze the data. The results found the patients with BPD reported more severe forms of childhood traumas, including emotional, physical, and sexual abuse and emotional and physical neglect, than did the non-BPD patients. This is consistent with previous findings in the United States that have reported higher prevalence and greater severity of various childhood traumas in individuals with BPD compared with those with non-BPD disorders or nonclinical samples. This study also found the patients with BPD recalled both of their parents as more overprotective/controlling and less caring than did the non-BPD patients. Lastly, logistic regression analyses found significant predictor variables of BPD diagnosis were reported emotional abuse and emotional neglect, as well as perceived paternal overprotection. Possible explanations for these results are discussed from both cultural and object-relations perspectives.