Role of coping strategies in mediating the effects of behavioral inhibition and activation systems on anger rumination and expression in patients with borderline personality disorder: A 12-month longitudinal study

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by anger rumination and expression, and these features are associated with Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems (BIS/BAS). This longitudinal study investigates the role of effective and ineffective coping strategies in mediating the association between BIS/BAS and anger rumination/expression in patients with BPD. This longitudinal study was performed on outpatients with BPD referring to two clinical and research centers in China from June 2019 to June 2021. A total of 340 patients with BPD were included in this study. Participants were investigated with BIS/BAS and Brief COPE at baseline and with anger rumination/expression questionnaire at a one-year follow-up session. Our findings demonstrated a significant indirect effect of BAS-Reward and BAS-Drive through problem-based coping skills on anger expression one year later. Besides, we found a significant indirect effect of BIS through avoidant coping skills on anger rumination one year later. Nonetheless, we failed to show a significant mediatory role for emotion-based coping skills. Our findings might have valuable implications for future studies that investigate anger management strategies based on personality traits and coping skills of patients with BPD. •Borderline personality disorder is characterized by anger rumination/expression.•An indirect effect of BAS via problem-based coping skills on anger expression•An indirect effect of BIS through avoidant coping skills on anger rumination•We failed to show a significant mediatory role for emotion-based coping skills.