The relationship between forgiveness and borderline personality symptomatology.

The relationship between forgiveness and borderline personality symptomatology has been rarely studied. Using a consecutive cross-sectional sample of 307 internal medicine outpatients and a survey methodology, we examined correlations between the Forgiveness Scale and borderline personality symptomatology as measured by the borderline personality disorder scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory. Numerous forgiveness subscales as well as the composite Forgiveness Scale score demonstrated statistically significant relationships with both measures for borderline personality symptomatology, such that individuals with this personality pathology demonstrated lower scores on these forgiveness subscales. Findings indicate that among individuals with borderline personality symptomatology, there are numerous aspects of forgiveness that are significantly lower than in individuals without this symptomatology.

Bullying in childhood and religious/spiritual status in adulthood among internal medicine outpatients.

BACKGROUND: Bullying in childhood is ubiquitous and associated with a number of identified negative outcomes in both childhood and adulthood. However, the relationship between being bullied in childhood and religious/spiritual status in adulthood has never been explored. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional sample of 324 consecutive internal medicine outpatients and a survey methodology, we examined relationships between 'When you were growing up, were you ever a victim of bullying?' and (1) self-perceived extent of religiosity/spirituality and (2) religiosity/spirituality as assessed by scores on the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). RESULTS: While bullying status in childhood was not related to either the self-perceived extent of religiosity or spirituality, it did evidence negative statistically significant relationships with seven of 12 FACIT-Sp-12 scales, as well as the overall composite score. CONCLUSIONS: According to these data, bullying in childhood is associated with lower religious/spiritual well-being in adulthood; however, this study was not designed to examine a causal relationship.

Abuse in childhood and religious/spiritual status in adulthood among internal medicine outpatients.

The relationship between abuse in childhood and religiosity/spirituality status in adulthood has been previously studied, but not in a medical sample or with the current study measure. Using a cross-sectional consecutive sample of 317 internal medicine outpatients, we asked participants, "As a child, were you the victim of either physical or sexual abuse?," and assessed religiosity/spirituality status with the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). We found that among the cohort with abuse in childhood, seven of twelve scales as well as the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score demonstrated statistically significant differences, with abused participants consistently evidencing lower religiosity/spirituality scores.

Perceptions of parental caretaking in childhood and religiosity/spirituality status in adulthood.

Relationships between parental caretaking quality in childhood and religiosity/spirituality in adulthood, which are the focus of the present study, have undergone limited study. Using a cross-sectional sample of consecutive internal medicine outpatients, we examined in 308 participants three aspects of their parenting experience (i.e., number of different caretakers, whether caretakers were biological parents or not, perceived quality of parental caretaking) and level of religiosity/spirituality over the past 12 months using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12). Current level of religiosity/spirituality did not correlate with the number of different caretakers or whether caretakers were biological parents or not. However, 6 of 12 FACIT-Sp-12 scales and the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score statistically significantly correlated with perceived quality of parental caretaking, with better parenting ratings associated with higher levels of self-reported religiosity/spirituality. Findings suggest that better parenting in childhood is associated with higher levels of certain aspects of current religiosity/spirituality in adulthood.

Religion/spirituality status and borderline personality symptomatology among outpatients in an internal medicine clinic.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to assess religion/spirituality (RS) status over the preceding 12 months in relationship to borderline personality symptomatology status. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients and a self-report survey methodology, we examined RS using the 12-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and borderline personality symptomatology using two self-report measures, the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory. RESULTS: The majority of FACIT-Sp-12 scales as well as the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score demonstrated an inverse relationship with scores on the individual measures for borderline personality symptomatology as well as a combined measure of such symptoms (individuals who scored positively on both measures). In other words, lower RS was identified in participants with higher levels of borderline personality symptomatology. CONCLUSIONS: According to findings, compared to participants without borderline personality symptomatology, those with such symptomatology evidenced statistically significantly lower RS on most study scales as well as the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score. This suggests that individuals with borderline personality symptomatology have lower overall levels of RS than individuals without this type of psychopathology.

Primary care perspectives on treating bipolar disorder: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we explored the comfort level of and influences upon primary care clinicians in prescribing psychotropic medications to patients with bipolar disorder. METHOD: In May 2010, we mailed a 1-page survey to a cross-sectional sample of 143 primary care clinicians in 2 large practice groups asking physicians to specify whether they prescribe psychotropic medications to bipolar patients, describe their comfort level in prescribing psychotropic medications to this patient group, indicate possible influences on their willingness to prescribe psychotropics for bipolar patients, and provide their opinion on whether or not primary care physicians should prescribe these medications to bipolar patients. RESULTS: Of the 38 respondents (response rate of 26.6%), nearly two-thirds (n = 24) reported the prescription of psychotropic medications to bipolar patients in their practices. For questions related to bipolar diagnosis and treatment, the means of all responses trended toward uncomfortable, with the prescription of antipsychotics being indicated as the aspect with which respondents were least comfortable. As for factors influencing a decision to prescribe, the restricted availability of mental health services was rated as most influential. With regard to the perceived role of primary care clinicians in prescribing psychotropic medications to bipolar patients, no respondent indicated that primary care physicians should "always" prescribe, whereas approximately two-thirds indicated "rarely" or "on occasion." CONCLUSIONS: While a majority of primary care clinicians prescribe psychotropic medications to patients with bipolar disorder, a majority are also understandably hesitant to do so and appear to do so in particular circumstances, most likely related to the restricted availability of mental health services.

Mental healthcare utilization and sleep disturbance: a pilot study.

Disturbances in sleep are empirically associated with a number of different psychiatric disorders. In this pilot study, we examined whether four general queries about mental healthcare utilization ("Have you ever been seen by a psychiatrist?," "Have you ever been hospitalized in a psychiatric hospital?," "Have you ever been in counseling?," and "Have you ever been on medication for your nerves?") would evidence correlations with various aspects of sleep disturbance as measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. In a cross-sectional sample of convenience, we surveyed 75 internal medicine outpatients. We asked participants about the four preceding mental healthcare variables as well as sleep experiences using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Prior to statistical analyses, we assigned one point to each mental healthcare utilization variable endorsed and developed a composite score (0-4). In analyses, while the mental-healthcare-utilization composite score was not related to overall sleep quality (i.e., the Global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Score), it was statistically significantly related to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index component of Sleep Disturbance (p<.01). This suggests that while individuals with greater mental healthcare utilization do not evidence differences in overall sleep quality compared to those with low utilization, they do report more disturbances in sleep.

The relationship between caretaking experiences in childhood and sleep disturbances in adulthood.

Studies on the relationship between childhood experiences with parents and sleep disturbances in adulthood are relatively few in number. Excluding studies on posttraumatic stress disorder, available studies on this relationship in adult participants is scant. In this study, we examined three caretaking variables (i.e., the number of different caretakers in childhood, whether caretakers were the biological parents or not, and the perceived quality of caretaking) and their relationship to self-reported sleep quality over the past month. Contrary to our expectations, only one of the childhood caretaking variables demonstrated a relationship with quality of sleep in adulthood-the perceived quality of caretaking. Lower ratings of parental caretaking quality were associated with poorer overall sleep quality. We discuss the potential implications of this finding.

Sleep quality in borderline personality disorder: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, relationships between sleep quality and borderline personality disorder were examined using 2 self-report measures. METHOD: Using a cross-sectional design in a sample of convenience of internal medicine outpatients, we surveyed men and women (N=76), aged 18 years or older, who were seeking nonemergent medical care during the period January 2009 to September 2009. Sleep quality was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and borderline personality was assessed with 2 measures: the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 (PDQ-4) and the Self-Harm Inventory (SHI). RESULTS: The global PSQI score was statistically significantly associated with scores on the PDQ-4 (P < .01), the SHI (P < .01), and the combination PDQ-4 and SHI (P < .01). With regard to the components of the PSQI, subjective sleep quality (P < .05), sleep duration (P < .05), and daytime dysfunction (P < .01) were all statistically significantly associated with scores on the PDQ-4, and sleep latency was statistically significantly associated with the combined PDQ-4 and SHI (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Individuals with borderline personality symptomatology demonstrate a poorer overall quality of sleep than those without these symptoms.