Core conflictual relationship themes in patients diagnosed with borderlinepersonality disorder who attempted, or who did not attempt, suicide

Extant relational notions of suicidal behavior were examined in a sample of 22 psychiatric inpatients with a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disor der (BPD), 11 of whom were hospitalized following a suicide attempt and 11 of whom reported no history of suicidal behavior. Relation ship narratives were obtained during a psychodynamically oriented clinical interview and as sessed using the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme (CCRT) coding scheme. The results did not support the relational differences of heightened depend ency needs, perceived rejection by others, and subsequent anger that were h ypothesized to exist between BPD persons who were hospitalized for a suicid e attempt and BPD individuals who had never made an attempt. Relational pat terns for both groups were similar and consistent with conventional concept ualizations of suicidal behavior and previous CCRT studies examining relati onal narratives among depressed psychotherapy patients. Specifically, the r elational pattern most often described by all participants was a wish to be loved and understood, experiencing others as rejecting, and responding wit h depression and disappointment.