Conceptualizing Borderline Personality Disorder as a Relationship Use Disorder

Using the experimental relationship-use questionnaire based on the DSM-5 Substance Use Disorder items among patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD, and healthy controls.

Administer the Function Acquisition Speed Test (FAST) to measure how quickly individuals learn associations between stimuli and responses, focusing on emotional biases related to self (e.g., feelings of unworthiness, ridicule) and others (e.g., dependency, validation). The aim is to assess the intensity of emotional biases in BPD patients compared to BD patients and healthy controls.

After viewing an educational video explaining Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as relational addiction, assess how participants perceive the alignment of their personal experiences with BPD traits, using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 10.

Using the Love Addiction Inventory (LAI), a 24-item self-report scale, to measure symptoms of love addiction. Participants rate their responses on a 5-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating greater levels of love addiction symptoms, among patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD.

valuate the correlation between beta-endorphin levels and the dimension of relational addiction among patients with BPD, BD, and healthy controls

Assessing dysfunctional self-perception and its associated indicators-including feelings of emptiness - among BPD group, BD group and HC group, using :

• Subjective Emptiness Scale (SES): An 8-item self-report scale measuring feelings of inner emptiness. Higher scores indicate greater perceived emptiness.

Assessing dysfunctional self-perception and its associated indicators-including self-esteem-among BPD group, BD group and HC group, using :

• Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES): A 10-item self-report scale assessing global self-worth. The total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating higher self-esteem.

Assessing dysfunctional self-perception and its associated indicators-including shame,-among BPD group, BD group and HC group, using :

• Experience of Shame Scale (ESS): A 25-item self-report scale covering eight domains of shame experiences, including personal habits, interpersonal behaviors, and body image. Higher scores reflect greater shame experiences.

Assessing dysfunctional self-perception and its associated indicators-including shame,-among BPD group, BD group and HC group, using :

• Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for Psychological Pain: Participants mark a point on a 10 cm line that represents their current level of psychological pain. Higher values indicating greater psychological pain.

Assessing the impact of painful relational experiences, focusing on rejection sensitivity, among patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD, and healthy controls (HC), using :

• Rejection Sensitivity Scale (MSR): A 9-item self-report scale assessing the level of anxiety and likelihood of perceiving rejection in various interpersonal situations. Higher scores indicate greater sensitivity to rejection.

Assessing the impact of painful relational experiences, focusing on loneliness, among patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD, and healthy controls (HC), using :

• University of Laval Loneliness Scale (ESUL): A 20-item self-report scale measuring perceived loneliness in adults. The scale assesses both emotional and social loneliness. Higher scores indicate greater loneliness.

Assessing the impact of painful relational experiences, focusing on attachment styles, among patients diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD, and healthy controls (HC), using :

• Relationship Scale Questionnaire (RSQ): A 30-item self-report scale evaluating attachment styles and relational anxiety. Higher scores reflect more insecure attachment styles.

Assessing the severity of compulsive sexual behaviors (CSBD) among patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) without Bipolar Disorder (BD), those with BD without BPD, and healthy controls (HC), using :

• Compulsive Sexual Behavior Scale (CSBD-19): a 19-item self-report scale that assesses the severity of compulsive sexual behaviors, following the diagnostic guidelines of the ICD-11. The scale evaluates key dimensions of CSBD, including control, salience, relapse, dissatisfaction, and negative consequences. Participants rate the frequency and impact of their sexual behaviors and impulses on a 5-point Likert scale. Higher scores indicate more severe compulsive sexual behavior.

Assessment of Non-Relational Addictive Behaviors in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Bipolar Disorder (BD), and Healthy Controls (HC), using substance use disorder criteria.

Participants will be screened for a range of substances (e.g., alcohol, opioids, stimulants) and will be asked about the frequency, quantity, and impact of substance use in their life.

Assessment of Suicidal Tendencies in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Bipolar Disorder (BD), and Healthy Controls (HC), using :

• Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS): The C-SSRS is a clinician-administered assessment tool designed to measure the severity and frequency of suicidal and para-suicidal behaviors. The scale includes questions about lifetime suicidal ideation, recent suicidal ideation, and behaviors, including planning, attempts, and self-injurious actions.