Introduction:

Current research and articles on early adversity and cognitive biases in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) demonstrate the relationship between these variables and the severity of the clinical symptoms of this disorder.

Objective:

The aim was to systematically review the evidence of the relationship between early adversity, cognitive biases, and exacerbation of symptoms of borderline personality disorder. The research gap concerns the particular type of early adversity and its relationship with the specific type of cognitive biases and the course of BPD in patients with this diagnosis.

Methodology:

We conducted a systematic literature review, and the Prisma statement version 2020 was used to report the evidence. The databases consulted were Scopus, Pubmed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo. Gray literature databases, such as Google Scholar, Open Gray, and WorldCat, were also included in the search.

Results:

We included 13 articles in the study that met the criteria for originality, studied theme (early adversity, cognitive functioning, and borderline symptomatology), and target population (patients diagnosed with a personality disorder).

Conclusions:

We found that while there is evidence that early adversity, in general, is a risk factor for BPD, further research is needed to understand the specific types of adversity that may be more strongly related to the development of BPD. In addition, although some studies have identified cognitive biases in individuals with BPD, little is known about how these biases develop and change over time or according to the stage of the patient's exposure to early adversity.

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