(PS10-A20) I Know You Are but What am I: A Study of Borderline Identity Disturbance, Emotion Regulation, Conflict, and Satisfaction in Couples

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is linked with lower satisfaction, greater dysfunction, and greater instability in romantic relationships (Beeney et al., 2019; Lazarus et al., 2020). While research has examined the association between relationships and BPD in general, the impacts of individual BPD symptoms have yet to be investigated. Two core features of BPD that likely influence relationship outcomes are identity disturbance (ID) and emotion regulation (ER) difficulties. While ER has been linked with couples’ satisfaction, few studies have explored how ER difficulties predict conflict among romantic partners. Despite being a diagnostic component of BPD, ID remains understudied across the literature, especially in dyadic contexts. Although past studies link conflict with couples’ satisfaction (Bertoni et al., 2010), no prior studies have investigated this alongside specific BPD symptoms. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the impacts of ID and ER on romantic partner conflict and couples’ satisfaction.

A sample of 84 cohabitating couples from the community completed measures of the Borderline Identity Disturbance Scale (BIDS; Neacsiu et al., 2015), emotion dysregulation (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004), the Romantic Partner Conflict Scale–revised (RPCS; Zacchilli et al., 2009), and couples’ satisfaction (CSI; Funk & Rogge, 2007). Using the RPCS, we examined subscales of specific conflict styles, including submission (RPCS-S), avoidance (RPCS-A), domination (RPCS-D), and compromise (RPCS-C).

Preliminary analyses suggest that both ID and ER difficulties negatively predicted couples’ satisfaction. While submission and domination conflict styles negatively predicted couples’ satisfaction, compromise was associated with higher satisfaction. Significant interactions were found such that each of the four romantic partner conflict styles moderated the effects of ID on couples’ satisfaction. Additional moderation analyses will explore the relationship between ID and ER difficulties in predicting couple functioning.

These findings highlight the deleterious effects of borderline identity disturbance and difficulties with emotion regulation on romantic relationship functioning. They elucidate the impacts of conflict styles on couples’ satisfaction within the context of these BPD features. In considering study outcomes, clinicians should assess for identity disturbance and emotion dysregulation, particularly among high-conflict couples. Integrating identity-strengthening exercises and emotion regulation strategies into evidence-based couple interventions could decrease conflict and increase satisfaction among couples in treatment settings. Future research focused on adapting and disseminating evidence-based therapies for couples wherein one or more partners have BPD symptoms could further advance our understanding of how to improve functioning, reduce harmful conflict styles, and increase satisfaction among this population.