Mental Disorder Discussion Essay

Mental Disorder Discussion Essay

Mental Disorder Discussion Essay

Borderline personality disorder is one of the most prevalent mental disorders characterized by multiple symptoms that affect cognition, interpersonal interactions, and moods. According to Smith & South (2020), the DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder include the chronic feelings of emptiness, unstable interpersonal relationships, impulsivity, anger, dissociation, self-harm thoughts and attempts, and affective instability. Various precocious environmental factors, childhood and adolescent temperamental characteristics, neurobiological correlates, and psychopathological aspects contribute to a high risk of borderline personality in children, adolescents, and adults. Bozzatello et al. (2021) identify child abuse, bullying and rejection by peers, maltreatment by family members, disrupted maternal communication, and sexual abuse as the profound risk factors for borderline personality disorder. Based on the association between borderline personality disorder and social and environmental factors, it is possible to use an attachment theoretical perspective to explain the disorder’s pathophysiology and manifestations.

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John Bowlby conceptualized the attachment theory in the 1970s to explain the role of close emotional bonds between children and caregivers in influencing developmental psychology. He believed that attachments between children and caregivers were central to protecting vulnerable individuals from potential threats and regulating negative emotions associated with threats and adverse events (Smith & South, 2021). Although Bowlby developed this theory to explain variations in children’s development, its emphasis on interpersonal relationships makes its appropriate in explaining the manifestation of various mental disorders in adolescents and adults, including borderline personality disorder.
The attachment theoretical perspective extends beyond childhood attachments to capture adulthood relationships and interactions that affect personalities. According to Abramov et al. (2022), relational disturbances are the primary predictors and “hallmark features” of borderline personality disorder (BPD). In this sense, interpersonal relationships marred by instability, distrust, conflicts, deceptive behaviors, betrayal, and exploitation can create a sense of insecurity and exacerbate negative emotions. Consistent exposure to these aspects of unstable and toxic interpersonal relationships can affect cognition, moods, behaviors, and feelings. For example, dysfunctional romantic relationships characterized with violence, distrust, deceptions, and betrayal can lead to attachment anxiety and contribute to various symptoms of borderline personality disorder, including affective instability, self-harm attempts, dissociation, impulsivity, unstable self-image, and chronic feelings of emptiness.

References
Abramov, G., Kautz, J., Miellet, S., & Deane, F. P. (2022). The influence of attachment style, self-protective beliefs, and feelings of rejection on the decline and growth of trust as a function of borderline personality disorder trait count. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 44(3), 773–786. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-022-09965-9
Bozzatello, P., Garbarini, C., Rocca, P., & Bellino, S. (2021). Borderline personality disorder: Risk factors and early detection. Diagnostics, 11(11), 2142. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11112142
Smith, M., & South, S. (2020). Romantic attachment style and borderline personality pathology: A meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 75, 101781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101781

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Go to the search engine, Google, and type in the box: attachment theory + (pick a mental disorder). For example, you can type: attachment theory + eating disorders. Search evidence based articles and then describe the disorder from an attachment point of view.

Post your initial discussion by 11:59 PM ET on Thursday. Posts are a minimum of 250 words, scholarly written, APA formatted (with some exceptions due to limitations in the D2L editor), and a minimum of 2 references