Background: While challenges with parenting have been documented for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD), the specific mechanisms underlying these challenges are less understood. Further, there is currently a dearth in specialised parenting interventions that have been developed and empirically investigated for this group. This thesis consists of three studies that explore the parenting challenges faced by individuals with BPD and based on these challenges and their proposed underlying mechanisms, proposes a novel parenting intervention.
Method: Three mixed methodology studies evaluated the relationship between parenting and BPD. First, an overview of systematic reviews assessed individuals with personality disorder pathology for experiences of maladaptive parenting, and the impact on psychopathological and relational outcomes (Study One). Next, parental stress and competence, personality and mental wellbeing, trauma history, attachment and reflective capacity was in
Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is the most prevalent mental disorder globally, with a greater morbidity rate among females than males. MDD encompasses both psychological and physical symptoms, and is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease (CMD), encompassing obesity, insulin resistance, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension. This is attributed to shared pathophysiology, including endocrine dysregulation, inflammation, and stress. However, there is limited understanding of the roles of and complex interactions between biological, psychological and physical contributors to the association between MDD and CMD. Prolactin, thyroid hormones, insulin and pro-inflammatory cytokines are implicated in the pathophysiology of both MDD and CMD. Prolactin is associated with stress and weight gain but there is limited research in MDD; cytokines are relevant to the inflammatory theory of MDD but sex differences have not been extensively examined; thyroid hormone dysfunction is
Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health disorder characterised by impairments in affect, behaviour, identity, and interpersonal relationships. Personal agency, operationalised by locus of control, refers to the extent that individuals feel that they have control over their outcomes. Low personal agency is understood as the tendency for individuals to perceive outcomes as a result of external factors, such as luck, chance, or fate. High personal agency is the extent that individuals perceive outcomes as dependent on their own personal characteristics, such as effort or ability. Low personal agency has been shown to be associated with greater BPD symptoms; however, no known studies have assessed these constructs together over time. Adult attachment styles consist of secure, preoccupied, fearful, and dismissive, and previous research has shown a relationship between BPD symptoms and insecure attachment. The association between low personal agency and adult att