Making sense of identity in the context of BPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Making sense of identity in the context of Borderline Personality Disorder: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
IRAS ID
333015
Contact name
Hannah Webb
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
CAHSS Research & Ethics - University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 26 days
Research summary
There is limited research exploring a sense of identity from a lived experience perspective. It is widely acknowledged across psychological approaches that positive self-conceptions, high self-esteem and a strong social identity are protective factors in psychological wellbeing. It is, therefore, clear that sense of identity has important implications for how we understand mental health difficulties.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder that is diagnostically characterised by instability of interpersonal relationships, emotions and a “disturbed” sense of identity. People who attract a diagnosis of BPD experience a high level of suffering, leading to high rates of suicide and self-harm in this population. Identity disturbance is a core feature in the diagnosis of BPD in both the DSM-IV and the ICD-11. Despite this, there is very little enquiry into identity and it remains relatively poorly understood in comparison to other diagnostic features of BPD.
This study will explore the lived experience of how people understand, experience and make sense of identity in the context of BPD. The research question is ‘How is sense of identity understood and experienced in the context of borderline personality disorder (BPD)?’
Individuals with a diagnosis of BPD will be recruited from NHS Lanarkshire Psychological Therapies Teams. Individuals who self-identify with BPD, but may not necessarily have a diagnosis, will be recruited from third sector organisations (peer support groups/advocacy groups). Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire (SCL-90) prior to attending an in-depth interview. The interview will be semi-structured with the aim of making space for voices that are currently obscured from research in this area. Exploring identity has the potential to provide further insight/understanding of current psychological theories and the effectiveness of psychological therapies. Participants will receive a £20 voucher for their time.
The research project is funded by The University of Edinburgh.REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
24/ES/0017
Date of REC Opinion
20 Feb 2024
REC opinion
Unfavourable Opinion