Autobiographical Memory and Interpersonal Problem Solving in Iranian Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the retrieval of autobiographical memory and the problem solving of people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and normal people. Methods: The study population comprised all patients with BPD in Tehran. The study sample consisted of 15 patients with BPD, who referred to Hazrat-e-Rasool Hospital and 15 control group people, who were mostly hospital staff. All participants were asked to complete a demographic questionnaire, means-ends problem solving task, and autobiographical memory test. Data were analyzed by t test and Pearson correlation test. Results: Based on the results, patients with BPD provided less effective solutions (P 0.001) and had more overgeneral memory style in autobiographical memory in response to pleasant, neutral (P 0.05), and unpleasant (P 0.01) cues. Conclusion: More strategies should be provided to retrieve specific memories and provide effective problem solving for patients with BPD.