Do mothers with borderline personality disorder oscillate in their behavior towards their children? Implications for interventions: commentary on Stepp, Whalen, Pilkonis, Hipwell, and Levine's article "Children of mothers with borderline personality disorder: identifying parenting behaviors as potential targets for intervention"

Abstract

Comments on an article Children of mothers with borderline personality disorder: Identifying parenting behaviors as potential targets for intervention by Stepp, Whalen, Pilkonis, Hipwell, and Levine (see record 2011-05873-001). Maternal borderline personality disorder (BPD) may present a challenge for children's development (Macfie, 2009). Although the fertility rate for women with BPD is relatively low (McGlashan, 1986; Stone, 1990), BPD affects women exclusively during their childbearing years: from adolescence (Ludolph et al., 1990) through middle age (Paris, 1993). Stepp and her colleagues provide a rich introduction to the need for interventions for offspring of women with BPD. They also provide a wide range of suggestions.