Marital adjustment in patients with emotionally unstable personality disorder

Abstract

ABSTRACT  Back Ground: Personality disorders especially Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) may lead to significant marital discord. Though the incidence of separation and divorce are on the rise the problem of underlying personality factors are not given much significance and inadequately studied. Among the personality disorders  EUPD  is the one that is more likely to be associated with marital discord and separation. Objective To study the marital adjustments of patients with emotionally unstable personality disorder   Methodology This cross-sectional study was done in individuals between 18 to 45 years and diagnosed as having EUPD as per ICD 10 DCR criteria, currently staying with their spouse, attending psychiatry department during the study period. Details were collected, Locke Wallace marital adjustment scale was administered, and Chi-square test was used to compare the relevant variables. Results 35 % of the the Sample (n= 34) EUPD subjects reported significant marital dissatisfaction. Co morbid psychiatric disorders were obtained in 23.5% of sample. Association between type of marriage and marital adjustment was found to be significant .41.2% received some kind of psychosocial intervention. 70.6% of the spouses had history of substance use and 23.5 % had history of psychiatric illness. No significant difference in MAT severity was found between EUPD subtypes. Conclusion  Study found high level of marital maladjustment among subjects with EUPD.