Some service user perspectives on the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder is subject to considerable debate with regards to its validity as a way of understanding people and their difficulties. This debate has taken place primarily in an academic context, though user focussed research has identified: (i) Some of the consequences of mental illness diagnosis, and (ii) Users' experiences of negative attitudes in response to the BPD diagnosis.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to explore user experiences and understandings of being given the diagnosis of BPD.

Method: Five service users who had been given the diagnosis of BPD were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. The interview focussed upon users' understandings of the diagnosis and how they perceived it to have affected them, their view of themselves and others' views of them. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results: Analysis identified five super-ordinate themes: Knowledge as power; Uncertainty about what the diagnosis meant; Diagnosis as rejection; Diagnosis is about not fitting; Hope and the possibility of change. Positive and negative aspects to these themes were apparent.

Conclusions: The identified themes are discussed in relation to extant literature on validity. It is suggested that alternative ways of understanding the self, such as a social constructionist perspective, may be more useful than the BPD diagnosis.

Declaration of interest: None.

Keywords:

• Borderline Personality Disorder
• mental health service users
• IPA