Psychometric Properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire in People Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder
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Keywords

meaning in life
borderline personality disorder
Meaning in Life Questionnaire
dissociative experiences
psychometric properties

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García-Alandete, J., Pérez, S., Lorca-Alamar, F., Guillén, V., & Marco, J. H. (2025). Psychometric Properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire in People Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. Universitas Psychologica, 24, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.11144/Javeriana.upsy24.ppml
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Abstract

This study analyzed the psychometric properties of the Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ) in a sample of people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Participants were 102 residents in Spain (74 women, 72.55 %; 26 men, 25.49 %; and 2 missing data, 1.96 %) age-ranged from 18 years to 68 years old (M = 37.69; SD = 12.66) diagnosed with BPD, who completed the MLQ, Purpose in Life Test-10 Items (PIL-10), and Dissociative Experiences Scale II (DES-II). The bidimensional model for the MLQ (Presence of Meaning: MLQ-P, and Search for Meaning: MLQ-S) showed an adequate internal consistency and an excellent fit. The MLQ-P and MLQ-S subcales correlated positively. The MLQ-P scale showed a positive correlation with the PIL-10 and a negative correlation with the DES-II. Introducing meaning in life into interventions with BPD patients can be a useful way to help them to find purpose in their lives, alleviate their existential suffering, and cope with the clinical symptomatology of BPD.

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