Alexithymic traits and dissociative episodes in borderline patients
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Introduction The biopsychosocial theory (Paris, 1996) considers the complex interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors in the development and manifestation of borderline personality disorder. Among the environmental factors are unstable family relationships, unresolved traumatic experiences, and adverse life events that can foster alexithymia and dissociative defense mechanisms, as supported by several studies in the literature (Carano et al., 2011; Caretti et al., 2005; Macrì et al., 2022). Objectives The present study aims to investigate these constructs in a population of borderline patients admitted to the Psychiatry Department at Bufalini Hospital in Cesena. Methods The sample was selected using the SCID PD (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5), followed by the administration of the following scales: TAS-20 (Toronto Alexithymia Scale), DES II (Dissociative Experiences Scale), SHI (Self-Harm Inventory), and BSQ (Body Shape Questionnaire). Multivariate analyses were applied, including non-parametric correlations (Spearman’s Rho) between variables using SPSS software. Results The sample consisted of 20 individuals (F = 17; M = 3) with a mean age of 27.57 years (SD = 7.83). Regarding the TAS, 85% of the participants reported clinically significant scores (Tot >50) compared to the healthy adult population, whose Italian mean is 44. For the DES, 70% of the sample reached clinically significant scores (Tot >30), whereas the healthy adult population scores below 10. The data revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between high TAS-20 and DES II scores, indicating a relationship between alexithymia and dissociative symptoms. Furthermore, while a trend toward correlation was observed between TAS-20 and BSQ, as well as DES II and BSQ, and SHI and BSQ, these correlations were not statistically significant. Conclusions In line with previous literature, most individuals with borderline personality disorder exhibit alexithymia (85%) and experience dissociative episodes (70%). The present findings demonstrate a significant relationship between alexithymia and dissociative symptoms, highlighting how individuals with greater difficulty recognizing and describing their emotions tend to report more frequent episodes of depersonalization and derealization. This suggests that those with such difficulties may use dissociation as a defensive strategy to avoid intense emotions and stressful situations. Additionally, it would be valuable to further explore the relationship between body satisfaction, dissociative symptoms, alexithymia, and self-harm, as these manifestations may be linked to emotional processing difficulties. These findings contribute to a better understanding of emotional and dissociative dynamics in patients with borderline personality disorder and underscore the importance of integrated assessment during treatment. Disclosure of Interest None Declared
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame machine prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. The Gemma side is a direct model label for every work in the frame, read from the title-only record. The Codex side is a classifier learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and calibrated to design-weighted sample rates; fields without enough sample support carry no Codex call. Candidate is the union of the two sides; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels.
Distilled classifier scores by category (both heads)
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.004 | 0.000 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; a candidate call from one source (direct Gemma or distilled Codex), not a consensus.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".