Behavioral Assessment of Mindfulness Difficulties in Borderline Personality Disorder
Hannah J. Scheibner, Stefanie Spengler, Phillipp Kanske, Stefan Roepke, Felix Bermpohl
Mindfulness December 1, 2016 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-016-0572-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Individuals with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Mind-wandering Borderline personality disorder Behavioral research |
| Key findings | Individuals with BPD had fewer mindful episodes and longer mind-wandering episodes than healthy controls, but detected mind-wandering as accurately as controls. Self-reported mindfulness difficulties correlated with behavioral performance, indicating intact awareness of mind-wandering. |
Abstract
Although mindfulness plays an important role in the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), few studies have investigated whether individuals with BPD show difficulties in mindfulness. Those studies have relied exclusively on questionnaire data. Here, we used a more objective, behavioral assessment of mindfulness difficulties in BPD that allowed us to distinguish difficulties in mindfulness, prolonged mind-wandering, and difficulties in awareness of mind-wandering. Twenty-five individuals with BPD and 28 healthy controls performed two mindful breathing tasks. Frequency of mindfulness versus mind-wandering was assessed in the experimenter - prompted mindfulness task , where participants were interrupted at random intervals and asked whether they had just been mindful or mind-wandering. Awareness of mind-wandering was assessed in the self - prompted mindfulness task , where participants were asked to press a computer key whenever they noticed mind-wandering. Length of mind-wandering was assessed in both tasks. In individuals with BPD, we found a lower frequency of mindful episodes. In addition, individuals with BPD indicated longer mind-wandering episodes in the experimenter-prompted task. However, individuals with BPD detected mind-wandering episodes as accurately as healthy controls in the self-prompted task. Finally, difficulties in mindfulness observed in the behavioral tasks positively correlated with participants’ reports of mindfulness difficulties in everyday life. Using behavioral tasks to specify difficulties in mindfulness in BPD, this study indicated that although individuals with BPD mind-wander longer and more often, their awareness of mind-wandering appear unaffected. This indicates that mindfulness difficulties can be reported by individuals with BPD and that therapists can build on this awareness through mindfulness-based treatments of BPD.