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Development of the BPDQoL scale : a disorder-specific measure of quality of life in borderline personality disorder

University of British Columbia

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been linked to high rates of suicidality, functional impairment, and physical/psychiatric comorbidity – resulting in high healthcare costs, diminished work productivity, and poor quality of life. Consequently, reducing symptoms of the disorder has been a central focus. Yet, symptoms are only partially reflected in the burden of disease, and a holistic approach to recovery calls for more than just the treatment of symptoms. Enhancing subjective quality of life (QoL) has been equally determinative of positive health outcomes and long-term recovery. Yet, little is known about the QoL in individuals with BPD, owing in part to an absence of gold standard methods by which to investigate the unique impact of BPD symptoms on important QoL domains. The objective of the present study was to develop a novel BPD-specific QoL scale designed to elucidate the relevant QoL domains that have been negatively affected in individuals with BPD. The present scale was developed over two studies: A patient-centered approach was used to inform item generation, along with thematic analysis, literature review, and field expert feedback (Study 1). QoL themes in Study 1 were organized around a core self, reflecting personal empowerment, values, and impression management. From these themes, the Borderline Personality Disorder Quality of Life (BPDQoL) scale was developed, with initial scale items demonstrating good face and content validity. Study 2 was then designed to investigate the psychometric properties of the scale using community participants. BPDQoL items demonstrated strong internal consistency and the scale displayed meaningful associations with a range of generic- and disorder-specific-QoL measures. Finally, a short-form version of the BPDQoL was developed, with a strong correlation to the full scale. The availability of such a measure could assist in advancing this important area of BPD research and could help to modify existing BPD treatments wherein QoL was targeted alongside symptoms.

Text

2020-09-15

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/76033

Psychology

University of British Columbia

UBCO

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/