The purpose of this study by Daley, Burge, and Hammen was to determine a relationship amongst women with borderline personality disorders, and romantic relationship dysfunction. The participants were chosen in two cohorts. They used 155 women that ranged from ages 16 to 19 and they were all of different racial decent. All the women were first given questionnaires; following the questionnaires they were given follow up interviews over the telephone. After the phone interviews, they were given more questionnaires. They spread the interviewing process out by first contacting the women semiannually, and then annually for four years. The measurements in which they were testing these women were on romantic chronic stress, depressive symptomatology, episodic events, and partner-reported satisfaction. They hypothesized that women associated with Borderline Personality Disorders might lead the individuals to enter into relationships with less potential of significant others. It may lead to more conflicts in the relationship, unplanned pregnancies, romantic stress, and abuse. .
. There was a positive correlation between Borderline Personality Disorders, and the number of relationships the women were involved in during the time the study was done. BPD was negatively correlated with the amount of time spent in a relationship. There was a positive correlation between women with BPD and the number of romantic conflict events in a relationship over the course of four years. BPD was positively correlated with the amount of abuse in a relationship. BPD was also positively correlated with the amount of unplanned pregnancies. Over the four years, the satisfaction amongst the men in relationships with women with BPD was poor. On average, the men were unsatisfied. .
As expected, there were some positive correlations in the study. Women with BPD provide evidence that in relationships that they are in, BPD is the primarily cause of the dysfunction.
