Adolescents' and their carers' experiences of living with eBPD/eEUPD 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Adolescents' and their carers' experiences of living with emerging Borderline Personality Disorder [eBPD] / emerging Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder [eEUPD]: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis [IPA].
IRAS ID
237975
Contact name
Leah Marriner
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Birmingham
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
‘Personality disorders’ [PD] are a type of mental health problem characterised by maladaptive patterns of thinking, functioning and behaving. There are many types of PD. The most common type found in young people is ‘borderline personality disorder’ [BPD]. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 4th edition [DSM-IV] includes Borderline Personality Disorder [BPD] as a stand-alone category of personality disorder. A stand-alone category of BPD does not exist within the International Classification of Diseases [ICD-10], although there is an equivalent category of disorder termed ‘emotionally unstable personality disorder-borderline type’ [EUPD] (NICE, 2009). In England clinicians use both of these terms interchangeably (Mind, 2015). BPD/EUPD is characterised by difficulties with emotion regulation, impulse control, inter-personal relationships and self-image (Sharp, 2017).
There is evidence within relevant literature of a long-standing debate concerning the controversy of diagnosing PD in adolescents (Kaess, Brunner & Chanen, 2014; Sharp, 2017). As a result of this controversy, often when referring to young people whose symptoms are akin to BPD/EUPD a qualifying term is added to the diagnosis, for example ‘emerging’ (NICE, 2009). Therefore, young people are often told that they have emerging BPD [eBPD] and/or emerging EUPD [eEUPD].
However, what is missing from the literature is any relevant qualitative data focused on exploring the acceptability and experience of receiving an eBPD/eEUPD label for young people and their carers, from their own perspectives.
This study aims to do exactly that by interviewing at least five young people with eBPD/eEUPD, and five carers of young people with eBPD/eEUPD, in order to extend on current knowledge. Data from interviews will be analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis [IPA], as at the centre of IPA is a commitment to exploring how individuals make sense of their major life experiences (Smith, Flowers & Larkin, 2009).
REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0063
Date of REC Opinion
3 Apr 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion