Crying in borderline personality disorder patients.

Emotion dysregulation and hyperreactivity are considered central features of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). We assumed that such emotion dysregulation is also reflected in increased crying behavior of these patients and, consequently, hypothesized that BPD patients (N = 62), compared to Cluster C personality disorder patients (Cluster C-PD; N = 25) and non-patients (N = 54), would show higher scores on crying measures. To evaluate crying behavior, we used a set of specially designed tools. Compared to non-patients, BPD patients showed the anticipated higher crying frequency despite a similar crying proneness and ways of dealing with tears. They also reported less awareness of the influence of crying on others. However, Cluster C-PD patients showed a very similar pattern of findings. Overall, our results suggest that the increased crying of BPD patients likely results from environmental factors or the misperception of situations, rather than from stable traits. Remarkable is that the observed discrepancies in crying behavior compared to non-patients seem to be similar for Cluster-C PDs and BPD.

Different aspects of emotional intelligence of borderline personality disorder.

OBJECTIVES: The present study investigated deficiencies in different components of emotional intelligence in borderline personality disorder (BPD). METHOD: The Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT) and the Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i) were used to assess EI dimensions. BPD patients (N = 85; 69 women; M = 33.6 years) were compared with Cluster C personality disorder (PD) patients (N = 39; 23 women; M = 36.6 years) and nonpatients (N = 69; 44 women; M = 35.6 years). RESULTS: Compared to the Cluster C PD patients and the nonpatient group, BPD patients displayed only deficits in their ability to understand emotions as measured with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test. The Emotional Quotient Inventory only revealed deficits in stress management in BPD patients compared to Cluster C PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that BPD patients have the ability to regulate emotions effectively, but they subjectively experience deficits in emotion regulation and therefore may not use this ability when they need it.

Borderline personality disorder and emotional intelligence.

The present study investigated emotional intelligence (EI) in borderline personality disorder (BPD). It was hypothesized that patients with BPD (n = 61) compared with patients with other personality disorders (PDs; n = 69) and nonpatients (n = 248) would show higher scores on the ability to perceive emotions and impairments in the ability to regulate emotions. EI was assessed with the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (Mayer, Salovey, and Caruso [New York: MHS, 2002]). As compared with the PD group and the nonpatient group, the patients with BPD displayed the anticipated deficits in their ability to understand, whereas no differences emerged with respect to their ability to perceive, use, and regulate emotions. In addition, a negative relationship was found between the severity of BPD and total EI score. However, this relationship disappeared when intelligence quotient was partialled out. These results suggest that BPD is associated with emotion understanding deficits, whereas temporary severity of BPD is associated with emotion regulation deficits.