Examining the Presence of Childhood Trauma Among Patients Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in Malaysia

Abstract

Childhood trauma is a silent epidemic, often leaving a lasting impact on numerous lives and potentially leading to severe psychological conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD). In Malaysia, the complex interplay between past trauma and BPD is not well-documented, highlighting the need for comprehensive research to understand and alleviate its consequences. This study aimed to explore the prevalence, severity, and types of childhood trauma among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in Malaysia, using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Borderline Evaluation Severity over Time (BEST) scale. A total of 39 participants were recruited for this study. Descriptive statistics revealed emotional abuse (M = 18.31, SD = 2.912) and emotional neglect (M = 18.15, SD = 4.356) as the most commonly reported traumas, followed by physical abuse and neglect, with sexual abuse being the least prevalent. A high percentage of participants reported severe emotional and physical abuse, indicating the significant role of emotional trauma in individuals with BPD. However, simple linear regression showed no significant relationship between childhood trauma and BPD (R = 0.057, p = .730), suggesting that childhood trauma does not strongly predict BPD severity in this sample. Due to the small sample size, it is recommended to conduct further studies with a larger, more representative sample to obtain more significant and generalizable results. These findings highlight the need to address emotional trauma in therapeutic and preventive contexts.