Leiden University Student Repository

Dzhesur, Melisa (2025)

Parental Bonding and Suicidal Ideation: Mediating Effect of Borderline Personality Disorder

Master thesis | Psychology (MSc)

Poor parental bonding has been linked to increased suicidal ideation and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Also, BPD is strongly related to suicidal ideation. The study examines whether BPD features have mediation effects on the relationship between parental bonding and suicidal ideation. Data from 1,645 participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) that consist of healthy controls and individuals with current or past anxiety or/and depression diagnoses were analysed. All PBI and PAI-BOR subscales significantly predicted the presence of suicidal ideation, with overprotection and identity problems as the strongest predictors. Furthermore, overprotection and lack of care were the significant predictors for identity problems. Consistent with these findings, mediation analyses illustrated that all PBI subscales were found to have indirect effects on the presence of suicidal ideation through the total PAI-BOR score. This study contributes to the...Show morePoor parental bonding has been linked to increased suicidal ideation and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. Also, BPD is strongly related to suicidal ideation. The study examines whether BPD features have mediation effects on the relationship between parental bonding and suicidal ideation. Data from 1,645 participants in the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) that consist of healthy controls and individuals with current or past anxiety or/and depression diagnoses were analysed. All PBI and PAI-BOR subscales significantly predicted the presence of suicidal ideation, with overprotection and identity problems as the strongest predictors. Furthermore, overprotection and lack of care were the significant predictors for identity problems. Consistent with these findings, mediation analyses illustrated that all PBI subscales were found to have indirect effects on the presence of suicidal ideation through the total PAI-BOR score. This study contributes to the identification of predisposing factors for suicidal ideation through BPD features and could guide the design of therapeutic interventions aimed at preventing suicidal ideation in adulthood, as well as parent-child relationship interventions targeting parental attitudes.Show less

parental bonding

suicidal ideation

borderline personality disorder

Author

Dzhesur, Melisa

Faculty

Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences

Specialisation

Clinical Psychology

Supervisors

Antypa, N.

ECTS Credits

20

Language

en