Symposium 24 - At the Intersection of Interpersonal Difficulties and Emotion Dysregulation in BPD: Associations with NSSI/Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors, Relationship Satisfaction, and Symptoms

Chair(s)

• JC

  Jennifer S. Cheavens, PhD

  Professor
  The Ohio State University
  Columbus, OH, United States

Discussant(s)

• KD

  Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Associate Professor
  University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Amherst, MA, United States

Presenter(s)

• GV

  Genesis Vergara, Ph.D.

  University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Amherst, MA, United States
• 

  Ella Sudit, M.A. (she/her/hers)

  Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
  American University
  Washington, DC, United States
• 

  Talia Tissera, M.A. (she/her/hers)

  Clinical Psychology MA Student
  York University
  Toronto, ON, Canada
• 

  Skye Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor
  York University
  Toronto, ON, Canada

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) has long been understood as a disorder that exists at the intersection of emotional and interpersonal disturbances. Historically, theoreticians and researchers have examined the associations of emotion dysregulation (Gratz, Moore, & Tull, 2016) and interpersonal difficulties (Lazarus, Cheavens, Festa, & Rosenthal, 2014) with outcomes such as NSSI separately and at the level of the individual with BPD. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in examining the ways emotion dysregulation and interpersonal processes transact to produce problematic outcomes for those with BPD. For example, at higher BPD features, individuals report higher urges to use dysfunctional emotion regulatory behaviors in response to social (as opposed to non-social) stressors (Dixon-Gordon et al., 2021) and indicate that interpersonal emotion regulation is less effective and that others are less willing to provide support in this way (Howard & Cheavens, 2023).

In this symposium, we will present data stemming from cutting-edge examinations of the interaction of interpersonal and emotion functioning domains in BPD both in individual difference and dyadic interaction models. First, Dr. Vergara will present cross-sectional and longitudinal data testing the proposition that, in a sample of those with BPD, emotion dysregulation is most closely associated with and best predicts NSSI at high levels of interpersonal sensitivity. Next, Ella Sudit will present data from a three-week EMA study in which both partners in romantic couples reported on BPD features, emotional experiences, and relationship satisfaction. This presentation focuses on the ways in which emotion differentiation, the ability to identify one’s own and others’ emotions in a nuanced manner, is associated with BPD features and relationships satisfaction. Third, Talia Tissera will discuss the experiences of intimate partners of those with BPD in responding to their partners’ self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITB). Themes for both responses to SITB and perceptions of how those responses impacted the partner with BPD will be discussed and used to inform the lived experiences of those with BPD and SITB. Finally, Dr. Fitzpatrick will present data from a 30-day EMA study in which both those with BPD and their romantic partners provided information on conflictual communication and suicidal or self-injurious (SSI) behaviors. The bidirectional relationship between conflictual communication and SSI over time for both the individuals with BPD and their intimate partners will be discussed.

In all, this symposium will advance our understanding of the social context of emotionally dysregulated behavior, including NSSI, in those with BPD. The analyses in these presentations include longitudinal data and data that were collected multiple times a day from both individuals with BPD and their romantic partners, providing a robust and highly generalizable examination of the intersection of interpersonal and emotional process in BPD.

Presentations:

• 5:04 PM - 5:18 PM CST

  (SYM 24) BPD and Nonsuicidal Self-injury: The Effect of Interpersonal Sensitivity and Emotion Dysregulation
  

  Speaker: Elinor E. Waite, B.A. – University of Massachusetts Amherst

  Co-Author: Genesis A. Vergara, Ph.D. – University of Massachusetts Amherst
• 5:18 PM - 5:32 PM CST

  (SYM 24) Inter- and Intra-personal Emotion Differentiation and Its Relation to Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in Romantic Couples
  

  Speaker: Ella S. Sudit, M.A. (she/her/hers) – American University

  Co-author: Kelly V. Klein, M.A. – American University and NIMH

  Co-author: Ramya Ramadurai, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Mclean Hospital/Harvard Medical School

  Co-author: Nathaniel R. Herr, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – American University
• 5:32 PM - 5:46 PM CST

  (SYM 24) We're Still Working on This Together: How Intimate Partners of People with Borderline Personality Disorder Respond to Suicidal and Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviors
  

  Speaker: Talia Tissera, M.A. (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Elizabeth A. Earle, B.A. – York University

  Co-author: Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Massachusetts Amherst

  Co-author: Karen Fergus, PhD – York University

  Co-author: Rachel Liebman, Ph.D. – University Health Network

  Co-author: Candice Monson, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Toronto Metropolitan University

  Co-author: Skye Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – York University
• 5:46 PM - 6:00 PM CST

  (SYM 24) The Interrelatedness of Intimate Relationship Problems and Suicidal or Self-injurious Behavior in Borderline Personality Disorder
  

  Speaker: Skye Fitzpatrick, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Elizabeth A. Earle, B.A. – York University

  Co-author: Rachel Liebman, Ph.D. – University Health Network

  Co-author: Kamya Goenka, BA (she/her/hers) – Palo Alto University

  Co-author: Omega Luxor, B.A. – York Univeristy

  Co-author: Ava Rutgers, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Ashley Seigel, MA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Anna Waisman, MA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: ariel Shoikhedbrod, mA (he/him/his) – York University

  Co-author: lana Vedelago, MA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Talia Tissera, M.A. (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Callista Forchuk, MA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Audrey Li-Chay-Chung, mA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Emily Mullins, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: rachel Howells, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Jessica Newman, MA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Annabelle Moore, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Ravina Sankar, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Danielle Fitzpatrick, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Noa Tulchinsky, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: taylor Alves, BA (she/her/hers) – York University

  Co-author: Nathaniel Edgar, BA (he/him/his) – York University

  Co-author: Katherine L. Dixon-Gordon, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Massachusetts Amherst

  Co-author: Candice Monson, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Toronto Metropolitan University

  Co-author: Karen Fergus, PhD – York University

  Co-author: Bev Fredborg, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Winnipeg