The experiences of autistic adults who were previously diagnosed with borderline or emotionally unstable personality disorder: A phenomenological study.
Bruce Tamilson, Jessica A Eccles, Sebastian C K Shaw
PMID 39258830WHAT IT FOUND
Ten autistic adults previously labelled with BPD/EUPD said the label was stigmatising and often followed self-harm or shutdowns that were misread.
They described autism diagnosis as validating and relieving, and said it helped them get workplace or study adjustments, though autism stigma remained.
Key findings
01Participants said their autistic differences were not diagnosed in childhood, and they attributed this partly to professionals' lack of autism awareness.
02Participants reported that self-harm and suicidality were interpreted through a BPD/EUPD lens, and that the resulting label was stigmatising.
03Participants described autism diagnosis as validating and relieving, though autism stigma remained.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
Ten participants were interviewed, all from England, so the findings are not generalisable. Participants were recruited through Twitter and had to speak English and be comfortable with an interview, which may exclude non-speaking autistic people and others who find interviews inaccessible. People who took part may have had strong feelings about autism and BPD/EUPD labels. The study explored experiences and did not test how often BPD/EUPD is a misdiagnosis in autistic adults. The researchers' own autistic status and medical backgrounds may have influenced interpretation.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not report funding or conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that BPD/EUPD is usually a misdiagnosis of autism. The study interviewed ten people who already had both labels and did not test how often this happens.