DISCUSSION
1) BPD is dysfunctional coping.
5.8 Conclusion
This study investigated the following hypotheses:
1) Individuals with BPD would cope differently from a psychiatric comparison group on a new measure o f coping in BPD.
2) Individuals with BPD would differ in their attachment to a primary caregiver, from a psychiatric comparison group, with regards to preoccupied and disorganised attachment.
3) That there would be a relationship between attachment and coping in BPD.
The data from this study supports the hypothesis that individuals with BPD cope differently from a psychiatric comparison group, using more emotion focused coping, Behaviourally Dysregulated and extreme behavioural avoidance responses to distress.
The study also provides preliminary support for the hypothesis that the BBCQ measures coping in BPD.
Individuals with BPD did not differ significantly from a psychiatric comparison group with regards to their attachment style. However, the trend in the data was consistent with previous research that has shown that, preoccupied and disorganised attachment are associated with a diagnosis o f BPD.
A relationship between attachment and coping was demonstrated in the sample as a whole. Preoccupied attachment scores accounted for a significant proportion o f the variance in scores on the Behaviourally Dysregulated coping scale o f the BBCQ. It is therefore concluded that if the two groups had been larger, it might have been possible to demonstrate a specific relationship between attachment and coping in BPD. This hypothesis needs to be investigated with further research.
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