Instability of the unstable, an observation of borderline personality disorder traits and impulsivity declaration during the pandemic.

Abstract

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a complex mental health condition characterized by emotional, relational, and cognitive dysregulations. It is often misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed, contributing to stigmatization and inconsistent treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic, with its unique stressors, offered an opportunity to examine BPD traits in the general population.

Aims: This study compares the manifestation of BPD traits during the COVID-19 pandemic across clinical and non-clinical populations in France. It hypothesizes that the general population, despite experiencing similar stress-induced behaviors, will exhibit different levels of BPD traits.

Methods: We administered the Borderline Personality Questionnaire (BPQ), Impulsive Behavior Scale (UPPS), and Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) to a sample of 563 respondents via an online questionnaire.

Results: The findings reveal that while all groups exhibited elevated impulsivity and anxiety, BPD patients exhibited significantly higher levels of hopelessness, suicidal tendencies, anxiety and depression. This indicates the chronic and pervasive nature of BPD compared with stress-induced behaviors in the general population or other clinical samples.

Discussion: The results highlight the distinct nature of BPD traits and the necessity of refined diagnostic and treatment approaches. We specifically note that the "Emptiness" trait affects the overall severity of BPD. The analysis allows for the nuanced understanding that BPD, rather than being a unified pathological entity, is a disorder in which predominant traits can affect the overall severity.

Conclusion: BPD is a prevalent yet underdiagnosed disorder, with traits such as chronic emptiness remaining stable despite external stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Focusing on understudied traits such as emptiness could enhance therapeutic approaches, and further research is needed to refine diagnostic methods and better understand BPD's diverse symptom profiles.