Disclosure about sexual behaviour in therapy in EUPD/BPD individuals

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Disclosure about sexual behaviour in therapy with BPD/EUPD individuals

  • IRAS ID

    346209

  • Contact name

    Bardana Singh

  • Contact email

    bardana.singh@surrey.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Surrey

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 8 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    The aim of the first study is to assess what factors people with EUPD/BPD (emotionally unstable/ borderline personality disorder) find influential in their decisions to disclose or not disclose information relating to their sexual behaviour in therapy. 30-40 participants will aim to be recruited from mainstream community PD services in Surrey and London. The study will adopt a Q-methodology where participants will be given a set of statements highlighting different factors that may influence decisions to disclose about sexual behaviour in therapy that relate to their BPD/EUPD diagnosis. Participants will have to rate these statements in a table from most likely to least likely salient in their decisions to disclose. A factor analysis will be conducted to generate factors that identifies groups of participants who sorted the statements in comparable ways (i.e., who share a similar viewpoint on the topic). This will provide an insight into what factors are influential to disclosure about sexual behaviour in therapy for people with EUPD/BPD.

    The second study will go further to explore reasons behind these influential factors for individuals with EUPD/BPD, based on personal experiences. Participants will be recruited from mainstream community PD services in Surrey and London as with MRP 1. Approximately 10 participants will be recruited from this sample for a semi-structured interview with the researcher. An Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be adopted for this study that will take a closer look into how people with EUPD/BPD individually make sense of disclosure about their sexual behaviour in therapy through reflections of their lived experience. Both studies together will allow for a wider and collective view on the variability of factors chosen, to a closer and individual view on how people make sense of their influences to disclose about sexual behaviour to their therapist, in relation to their EUPD/BPD identity.

  • REC name

    London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    24/LO/0740

  • Date of REC Opinion

    14 Nov 2024

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion