Theory of mind: A comparison between clients with borderline personality disorder and healthy individuals

The theory of failed mentalization, one of the major theories in the conceptualization of borderline personality disorder, knows the individual deficit in various aspects of the constructs of the theory of mind as the core psychopathology and explains the emergence, evolution, and manifestation of symptoms based on it. However, there is no consensus in the research on this theory. The present study aimed to compare the theory of mind in borderline personality disorder with healthy individuals.

This descriptive study followed a causal-comparative research design. The literate adults living in Tehran province made up the statistical population of the study. Two groups, including individuals with borderline personality disorder (n=15) and healthy individuals (n=15), were selected using convenience sampling. Research findings were obtained through the Structured Clinical Interviews (SCID-II) (1994), the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) (1994), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (1961), Beck Anxiety Inventory (1990), and Baron-Cohen’s Reading the Mind in the Eye Test (2001). The data were then analyzed by one-way multivariate analysis of variance.

The findings showed no significant difference in the ability of the theory of mind between the members of the clinical group with borderline personality disorder and the healthy group (p≤0.05).

There is still no complete consensus on the lack of ability of theory of mind in borderline personality disorder, and the mere diagnosis of this disorder does not reflect the lack of this ability in patients. Thus, the initial assessments and the selection of treatment methods based on the theory of mind need more attention in this disorder.