Key Takeaways
- BPD has a strong genetic component, but it doesn’t mean you’ll inevitably develop it or pass it to your children.
- Your environment plays a crucial role in BPD risk, not just genetics.
- Getting treatment for BPD can improve your symptoms and parenting, reducing the risk of passing it to your children.
If you have borderline personality disorder (BPD) and kids, you’ve probably wondered if they could inherit BPD from you. Although BPD does have a strong genetic component, rest easy: Your children most likely will not develop borderline personality disorder—and you can take action to help prevent it.
Is BPD Genetic?
Research has shown that borderline personality disorder can run in families. This happens most likely for several reasons.
According to research, the heritability of BPD is an estimated 46%. The remaining risk varies depending on the individual and is connected to unique environmental factors.
Having a genetic susceptibility to BPD isn’t a guarantee that someone will eventually develop the condition, however. Other studies tracking BPD in families, particularly in twins, have suggested that interactions between your genes and your environment also play an important role.
Other Risk Factors
The types of environments that can put children at risk of developing BPD also run in families. For example, someone who is maltreated as a child is at greater risk to develop BPD. That person is also at greater risk of having difficulty parenting. It is hard to be an effective parent when you are struggling with BPD symptoms, and it does not help if you did not have good parenting models yourself.
While you can’t change genetics, you can influence your child’s environment. Research strongly suggests that the environment significantly impacts whether individuals with genetic predispositions for BPD develop the disorder.
Recap
Genes are a risk factor for BPD, but environment also plays an important role. This means that there are steps you can take that may minimize your risk or your children’s risk of developing BPD.
How to Decrease the Risk of BPD
Because BPD is influenced by factors beyond genetics, you can take steps that may help reduce the risk of you or your children developing borderline personality disorder.
Get Treatment
Begin by seeking treatment for yourself. Effective treatment for borderline personality disorder, guided by a mental health professional, can lead to significant improvement. Some individuals may no longer meet the diagnostic criteria for BPD after treatment.
With fewer symptoms, you can focus more on effective parenting. Consult with your doctor or therapist to determine the best treatment path for you.
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Evaluate Your Home Environment
Once you are in treatment, express your concerns about your children to your care provider, and ask for help. Your provider can help you evaluate your home surroundings and whether your symptoms could be affecting your parenting skills.
Enroll in Skills Training
Your therapist may even be able to refer you to programs that help people build skills to be more effective parents. People with borderline personality disorder can be very effective and nurturing parents, but because the symptoms of BPD can be very intense, for many people this does take some work.
Treatment Options
BPD is typically treated with a combination of psychotherapy and medication. A number of different types of talk therapy have been shown to be helpful for treating this condition, including
Medications that may be prescribed to treat BPD include antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants, and anti-anxiety medications. These may relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression, impulsivity, and paranoid thinking.
Self-help strategies, such as developing new coping skills to regulate emotions and cope with distress, can also be beneficial if you have BPD.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does BPD run in families?
Having family members with BPD can increase your risk of developing the condition as well. This is due to shared genetic and environmental factors that play a role in causing BPD.
How old are people when BPD first develops?
The age of onset for BPD symptoms usually occurs during adolescence or early adulthood. Research suggests that people typically begin treatment for the condition around age 18.
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Bjorkenheim J, Sihvonen J, Perkiö E, Raevuori A, Rihoutari M, Paunio T, et al. Familial risk and heritability of diagnosed borderline personality disorder: a register study of the Swedish population. Molecular Psychiatry. 2019;24(8):1202-1209. doi:10.1038/s41380-019-0395-3
Skoglund C, Tiger A, Rück C, et al. Familial risk and heritability of diagnosed borderline personality disorder: a register study of the Swedish population. Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(3):999-1008. doi:10.1038/s41380-019-0442-0
Amad A, Ramoz N, Thomas P, Jardri R, Gorwood P. Genetics of borderline personality disorder: systematic review and proposal of an integrative model. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014;40:6-19. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.01.003
Biskin RS. The lifetime course of borderline personality disorder. Can J Psychiatry. 2015;60(7):303-308. doi:10.1177/070674371506000702
Additional Reading
Lis E, Greenfield B, Henry M, Guile JM, Dougherty G. Neuroimaging and Genetics in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Review. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, 32:162-173, 2007.
Zanarini MC, and Frenkenburg FR. Pathways to the Development of Borderline Personality Disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 11:93-104, 1997.
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