Sons of mothers with borderline personality disorder: Identifying fostering strategies

Abstract

Introduction

There is a higher incidence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in families and offspring of people with the disorder, suggesting that both genetic and environmental factors are vulnerable to the condition that is passed from generation to generation.

Objectives

Identify the parenting strategies used by these mothers as potential targets for psychological intervention.

Method

Literature review of the scientific literature.

Results

The literature shows that mothers with BPD often have very characteristic parenting practices and that they are conditioned by what is inherent to BPD – oscillations between a search for excessive control of the other person for fear of abandonment and neglect behaviors, attachment insecure or disorganized. They are between extremes of over-involvement and lack of involvement with the child, that is, mothers who show themselves in some cold, avoidant and rejecting moments and in others that are excessively demanding, invasive and over-involved with the child, consistently denoting a pattern. Of relationship that goes from one end to the other.

Conclusions

Attachment-based interventions work through corrective experiences in the therapeutic relationship, work on their attachment style, giving the mother an opportunity to reflect on her own childhood experiences with her caregivers and how they led her to Have an insecure or disorganized attachment, while being encouraged to connect these reflections with your current experiences with your child.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.