PhD Scientific Days 2022

Mental Health Sciences II. (Poster discussion will take place in the Aula during the Coffee Break)

Structural Existential Analysis of Parasuicidal Behaviour in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

Text of the abstract

Suicide and self-injury are the most threatening symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD). This study examined the experiences of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviours among adults with BPD. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to develop themes from the narratives of six adults with a BPD. The framework for interpretation was the Structured Existential Analysis (SEA) framework. Based on this, the following themes emerged in relation to the 1) physical dimension: a) nature: alienation from the environment, the unreal, the environment is alive, the individual is dead b) things: tools used for self-harm are dual in nature - both self and alienated c) own body: alienation from own body, transformation of mental pain into physical pain d) cosmos: indifference, emptiness, chaos 2) social dimension a) society: indifference, exclusion, sense of being othered b) others: dominance over own actions in reaction to submission by others c) ego: rejection d) culture: isolation. 3) personal dimension: a) person: lack of identity b) me: weakness, sickness c) self: disintegration d) consciousness: confusion 4) spiritual world: a) infinite: the tranquility of non-existence in death which is attractive b) ideas: suicide is a solution c) spirit: nothing on the "other side" d) conscience: the moral judgement of suicide is relative. In this study's existential phenomenological exploration, a set of motivations is revealed that help us to understand the life-world experiences of suicide and self-injurious behaviour of individuals with BPD.