School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia.
Mental Health Program, Eastern Health, Box Hill, Victoria, Australia.
J Pers Disord. 2024 Oct;38(5):455-476. doi: 10.1521/pedi.2024.38.5.455.
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is frequently understood as a diagnosis applicable mainly to women, despite population studies suggesting similar prevalence between men and women. The scarce available information suggests that compared to women, men may face additional gender-related barriers to diagnosis and treatment when attempting to engage with support and treatment for BPD-related difficulties. The current study presents a qualitative in-depth exploration of the help-seeking and diagnosis experiences of four men with BPD. Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, three themes were generated: (1) "There's just no help out there": barriers to treatment; (2) self-understanding and insight; and (3) the importance of emotional and psychological connection with health care professionals and close family and friends. Having a greater understanding of male-specific experiences of BPD could improve the helpseeking journeys of men with BPD through early identification, accurate and timely diagnosis, to relevant and effective treatment and support.
边缘型人格障碍（BPD）通常被理解为主要适用于女性的诊断，尽管人群研究表明男女患病率相似。可用的稀缺信息表明，与女性相比，男性在试图寻求支持和治疗与 BPD 相关的困难时，可能会面临额外的与性别相关的诊断和治疗障碍。本研究对四位患有 BPD 的男性的求诊和诊断经历进行了定性深入探讨。使用解释性现象学分析，生成了三个主题：（1）“那里根本没有帮助”：治疗障碍；（2）自我理解和洞察力；（3）与医疗保健专业人员和亲密家人及朋友建立情感和心理联系的重要性。更深入地了解 BPD 男性特有的经历，可以通过早期识别、准确及时的诊断、相关和有效的治疗和支持，改善男性 BPD 患者的求诊之旅。
