International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

The Mediating Role of Borderline Personality Features in the Relationship between Self-Compassion and Rejection Sensitivity with Interpersonal Problems

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Faezeh Gassabi
Parisa Pourmohammad
Department of Clinical Psychology, Faculty of medical sciences,Tabriz Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
10.30491/ijbs.2025.491861.2176
Abstract
Introduction: Interpersonal problems contribute to psychological distress in the general population. This study aimed to explore the mediating effect of Borderline Personality Traits (BPT) on the relationship between self-compassion and rejection sensitivity with interpersonal problems.
Method: This cross-sectional study employed a descriptive-correlational design analyzed through path analysis to test mediation effects. The statistical population comprised students from Tabriz Azad Medical Sciences University during the second quarter of 2024. A total of 200 individuals were recruited using a convenience sampling method. Study measures were the Self-Compassion Scale, the Interpersonal Problems Questionnaire, the Rejection Sensitivity Scale, and the Borderline Personality Disorder Scale. Data analysis was performed using Pearson's correlation coefficient with SPSS-26 and path analysis with AMOS-20.
Results: The findings revealed that interpersonal problems had a significant negative correlation with self-compassion and a positive correlation with rejection sensitivity. Additionally, BPT were significantly associated with interpersonal problems. Path analysis indicated that rejection sensitivity (p=0.05, β= -0.21) and self-compassion (p = 0.05, β = -0.58) indirectly influenced interpersonal problems through borderline traits. The model demonstrated a good fit with the data.
Conclusion: The findings show that rejection sensitivity and self-compassion indirectly influence interpersonal problems through BPT. The findings underscore the potential for developing targeted interventions to address interpersonal difficulties.
Keywords
Borderline Personality Disorder
Rejection
Self-Compassion
Interpersonal Relations
  1. Wilson S, Stroud CB, Durbin CE. Interpersonal dysfunction in personality disorders: A meta-analytic review. Psychological bulletin. 2017;143(7):677. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000101
  2. Girard JM, Wright AG, Beeney JE, Lazarus SA, Scott LN, Stepp SD, et al. Interpersonal problems across levels of the psychopathology hierarchy. Comprehensive psychiatry. 2017;79:53-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.06.014
  3. Neff K, Leary S-CIM, Hoyle R. Individual Differences in Social Behavior (pp. 561-573). New York: Guilford Press.
  4. Neff KD. Self-compassion: Theory, method, research, and intervention. Annual review of psychology. 2023;74(1):193-218. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-031047
  5. Muris P, Otgaar H. Self-esteem and self-compassion: A narrative review and meta-analysis on their links to psychological problems and well-being. Psychology research and behavior management. 2023:2961-75. https://doi.org/10.2147/PRBM.S402455
  6. Jacobson EHK, Wilson KG, Kurz AS, Kellum KK. Examining self-compassion in romantic relationships. Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science. 2018;8:69-73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcbs.2018.04.003
  7. Yarnell LM, Neff KD. Self-compassion, interpersonal conflict resolutions, and well-being. Self and identity. 2013;12(2):146-59. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298868.2011.649545
  8. Neff K, Germer C. The mindful self-compassion workbook: A proven way to accept yourself, build inner strength, and thriveÿ ÿ: Guilford Publications; 2018.
  9. Mishra M, Allen MS. Rejection sensitivity and romantic relationships: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Personality and Individual Differences. 2023;208:112186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2023.112186
  10. Sommerfeld E, Shechory Bitton M. Rejection sensitivity, self-compassion, and aggressive behavior: The role of borderline features as a mediator. Frontiers in psychology. 2020;11:44. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00044
  11. Martin-Gagnon G, Normandin L, Fonagy P, Ensink K. Adolescent mentalizing and childhood emotional abuse: implications for depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder features. Frontiers in psychology. 2023;14:1237735. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1237735
  12. Keepers GA, Fochtmann LJ, Anzia JM, Benjamin S, Lyness JM, Mojtabai R, et al. The American Psychiatric Association practice guideline for the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2024;181(11):1024-8. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.24181010
  13. Jeong H, Jin MJ, Hyun MH. Understanding a mutually destructive relationship between individuals with borderline personality disorder and their favorite person. Psychiatry investigation. 2022;19(12):1069. https://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2022.0079
  14. Hallquist MN, Hall NT, Schreiber AM, Dombrovski AY. Interpersonal dysfunction in borderline personality: a decision neuroscience perspective. Current opinion in psychology. 2018;21:94-104. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.09.011
  15. Association AP. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5: American psychiatric association; 2013.
  16. Sato M, Fonagy P, Luyten P. Rejection sensitivity and borderline personality disorder features: The mediating roles of attachment anxiety, need to belong, and self-criticism. Journal of personality disorders. 2020;34(2):273-88. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi_2019_33_397
  17. Foxhall M, Hamilton‐Giachritsis C, Button K. The link between rejection sensitivity and borderline personality disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 2019;58(3):289-326. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12216
  18. Dixon-Gordon KL, Peters JR, Fertuck EA, Yen S. Emotional processes in borderline personality disorder: An update for clinical practice. Journal of psychotherapy integration. 2017;27(4):425. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/int0000044
  19. Foulser AA. A randomized controlled investigation of a compassion-based intervention for shame 2023.
  20. Bahmani S, Fallah-Neudehi M, Ebadi Z, Faghihi T. Comparison of Borderline Personality Disorder Patients' Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, and Self-compassion with Healthy Individuals. International Journal of Behavioral Sciences. 2023;17(1):32-7. https://10.30491/IJBS.2023.380608.1894
  21. Pohl S, Steuwe C, Mainz V, Driessen M, Beblo T. Borderline personality disorder and childhood trauma: Exploring the buffering role of self‐compassion and self‐esteem. Journal of clinical psychology. 2021;77(3):837-45. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23070
  22. Donald F, Lawrence KA, Broadbear JH, Rao S. An exploration of self-compassion and self-criticism in the context of personal recovery from borderline personality disorder. Australasian Psychiatry. 2019;27(1):56-9. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856218797418
  23. Fagan S, Hodge S, Morris C. Experiences of compassion in adults with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Psychological reports. 2022;125(3):1326-47. https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941211000661
  24. Germer CK, Neff KD. Self‐compassion in clinical practice. Journal of clinical psychology. 2013;69(8):856-67. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22021
  25. Fonagy P, Gergely G, Jurist EL. Affect regulation, mentalization and the development of the self: Routledge; 2018.
  26. Hopwood CJ. A framework for treating DSM‐5 alternative model for personality disorder features. Personality and mental health. 2018;12(2):107-25. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmh.1414
  27. Kline RB. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling: Guilford publications; 2023.
  28. Raes F, Pommier E, Neff KD, Van Gucht D. Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the self‐compassion scale. Clinical psychology & psychotherapy. 2011;18(3):250-5. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.702
  29. Azizi A, Mohammadkhani P, Lotfi S, Bahramkhani M. The validity and reliability of the Iranian version of the Self-Compassion Scale. Practice in Clinical Psychology. 2013;1(3):149-55. http://jpcp.uswr.ac.ir/article-1-83-en.html
  30. Barkham M, Hardy GE, Startup M. The IIP‐32: A short version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems. British Journal of Clinical Psychology. 1996;35(1):21-35. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8260.1996.tb01159.x
  31. Fath N, Azad Fallah P, Rasool-zadeh Tabatabaei SK, Rahimi C. Validity and reliability of the inventory of interpersonal problems (IIP-32). Journal of clinical psychology. 2013;5(3):69-80. https://doi.org/10.22075/jcp.2017.2137
  32. Morey LC. The personality assessment inventory. Personality assessment: Routledge; 2014. p. 181-228.
  33. Trull TJ. Borderline personality disorder features in nonclinical young adults: 1. Identification and validation. Psychological Assessment. 1995;7(1):33. https://doi.org/10.1037//0021-843x.106.2.307
  34. Esmaeilian N, Dehghani M, Moradi A, Khatibi A. Attention bias and working memory in people with borderline personality symptoms with and without non-suicidal self-injury. Adv Cogn Sci. 2020;22(1):36-48. http://icssjournal.ir/article-1-916-en.html
  35. Downey G, Feldman SI. Implications of rejection sensitivity for intimate relationships. Journal of personality and social psychology. 1996;70(6):1327. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.70.6.1327
  36. Ayduk O, Downey G, Kim M. Rejection sensitivity and depressive symptoms in women. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2001;27(7):868-77. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167201277009
  37. Khoshkam S, Bahrami F, Rahmatollahi F, Najarpourian S. Psychometric properties of rejection sensitivity questionnaire in university students in Iran. 2014.
  38. Keng S-L, Wong YY. Association among self-compassion, childhood invalidation, and borderline personality disorder symptomatology in a Singaporean sample. Borderline personality disorder and emotion dysregulation. 2017;4:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40479-017-0075-3
  39. Salgó E, Szeghalmi L, Bajzát B, Berán E, Unoka Z. Emotion regulation, mindfulness, and self-compassion among patients with borderline personality disorder, compared to healthy control subjects. Plos one. 2021;16(3):e0248409. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0248409
  40. Linehan M. Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder: Guilford press; 1993.
  41. De Meulemeester C, Lowyck B, Vermote R, Verhaest Y, Luyten P. Mentalizing and interpersonal problems in borderline personality disorder: The mediating role of identity diffusion. Psychiatry research. 2017;258:141-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.09.061
  42. Ooi J, Michael J, Lemola S, Butterfill S, Siew CS, Walasek L. Interpersonal functioning in borderline personality disorder traits: a social media perspective. Scientific reports. 2020;10(1):1068. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-58001-x
  43. Hepp J, Lane SP, Carpenter RW, Niedtfeld I, Brown WC, Trull TJ. Interpersonal problems and negative affect in borderline personality and depressive disorders in daily life. Clinical psychological science. 2017;5(3):470-84. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702616677312
  44. Di Bartolomeo AA, Varma S, Fulham L, Fitzpatrick S. The moderating role of interpersonal problems on baseline emotional intensity and emotional reactivity in individuals with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology. 2022;13(4):20438087221142481. https://doi.org/10.1177/204380872211424
  45. Fruzzetti AE, Fantozzi B. Couple therapy and the treatment of borderline personality and related disorders. Clinical handbook of couples therapy. 2008:567-90.
  46. Gilbert P. Compassion focused therapy: Distinctive features: Routledge; 2010.
  47. Faraji H. Investigation of the relationship between borderline personality organization and perceived abuse experiences in romantic relationships: moderating role of rejection sensitivity. Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine. 2024;7(3):259-63.
    https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1452696
  48. Meyer B, Ajchenbrenner M, Bowles DP. Sensory sensitivity, attachment experiences, and rejection responses among adults with borderline and avoidant features. Journal of personality disorders. 2005;19(6):641-58. https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2005.19.6.641
  49. Downey G, Feldman S, Ayduk O. Rejection sensitivity and male violence in romantic relationships. Personal relationships. 2000;7(1):45-61. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-6811.2000.tb00003.x

 

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 19, Issue 1
Spring 2025
Pages 51-58