Conceptualizing Borderline Personality Disorder as a Relationship Use Disorder

NCT ID: NCT07337889

Last Updated: 2026-01-13

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 194 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2026-01-01
• Study Completion Date: 2028-03-01

Brief Summary

This study aims to explore a novel conceptualization of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as a "Relationship Use Disorder." The research proposes that BPD shares key features with behavioral addictions, specifically addiction to interpersonal relationships. The study builds upon previous findings suggesting that individuals with BPD experience intense emotional dysregulation, including negative self-perception, shame, and a compulsive need for external validation. This addiction to relationships, much like substance use disorders, is thought to contribute significantly to the difficulties faced by these individuals, including interpersonal conflicts, self-destructive behaviors, and emotional instability.

The study seeks to demonstrate that the relational difficulties central to BPD meet the diagnostic criteria for addiction as defined by the DSM-5. It will also explore how these relational struggles are mediated by dysfunctional self-perception and whether they are linked to behaviors such as compulsive sexual behaviors (CSBD) or suicidal tendencies. Additionally, the research will investigate the relationship between addiction to relationships and neurobiological factors, including endorphin levels, in individuals with BPD compared to those with bipolar disorder and healthy controls. The hypothesis is that individuals with BPD will exhibit higher levels of relationship addiction, with this addiction being tied to their perception of self-worth and emotional experiences in relationships.

This innovative approach aims to refine the understanding of BPD, reduce stigma, and improve treatment strategies by providing scientific evidence supporting the conceptualization of BPD as a "Relationship Use Disorder."

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder; Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD); Bipolar Disorder (BD)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Patients with borderline personality

Patients with borderline personality disorder without bipolar disorder

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Relationship-use questionnaire

Intervention Type: OTHER

Questionnaire adapted from the 'Substance Use Disorders' section of the DSM-5: Disorder related to the use of close relationships

Patients with bipolar disorder

patients with bipolar disorder without borderline personality disorder

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Relationship-use questionnaire

Intervention Type: OTHER

Questionnaire adapted from the 'Substance Use Disorders' section of the DSM-5: Disorder related to the use of close relationships

Healthy controls

Healthy controls (i.e. without psychiatric disorders), from the general population

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Relationship-use questionnaire

Intervention Type: OTHER

Questionnaire adapted from the 'Substance Use Disorders' section of the DSM-5: Disorder related to the use of close relationships

Interventions

Relationship-use questionnaire

Questionnaire adapted from the 'Substance Use Disorders' section of the DSM-5: Disorder related to the use of close relationships

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• General : aged 18-45
• Specific :
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)assessed by SCID, without bipolar disorder
• Bipolar disorder (assessed by SCID), without BPD (evaluated by SCID)
• Healthy controls with no psychiatric disorders (screened by SCID).

Exclusion Criteria

• Psychotic disorders (evaluated by SCID)
• lack of informed consent
• Not affiliated with social security
• Under judicial or administrative confinement or involuntary hospitalization
• Protected by law (e.g., under guardianship)
• Pregnancy or breastfeeding
• Inability to understand, speak, or write in French
• Inability to understand the study's purpose or methodology
• Excluded from another study during the exclusion period
• Participants who have received over €6000 in annual indemnities
• For Bipolar Participants (without BPD) : Current moderate or severe depressive episode (BDI score > 18) or Current hypomanic/manic episode (YMRS < 12)

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University Hospital, Montpellier

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Other Identifiers

RECHMPL24_0194

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id