Childhood emotional support and borderline personality features in a sample of Canadian psychiatric outpatients

Abstract

Background:

Despite links between early relational experiences and psychopathology, data regarding childhood emotional neglect among Canadian mental health services users are scarce.

Aims:

To explore the absence of emotional support experiences reported by Canadian psychiatric outpatients, and to examine the relationship between childhood emotional support and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features.

Methods:

A survey regarding childhood emotional support was completed by consecutively admitted adult outpatients, along with self-report assessments of symptom distress and BPD features.

Results:

A substantial proportion of outpatients reported absent emotional support experiences. After controlling for the effects of age and symptom distress, childhood emotional support was found to be significantly negatively associated with BPD features.

Conclusion:

The findings add further support to the need for clinical attention to the early relational experiences of mental health service users.