Physical Activity, Sleep and Eating in Young People With Borderline Personality Disorder

ABSTRACT Previous research suggests a connection between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and somatic comorbidities, underscoring the importance of lifestyle and health‐related behaviour (LHRB) in the emergence of BPD. We investigated LHRBs—physical activity, sleeping and overeating—among young people at different BPD stages compared to a matched community sample. Furthermore, we explored whether problematic LHRBs intensify in later BPD stages. Participants included 55 young people exhibiting BPD features from a specialized mental health care institution, matched with a community control group based on age, self‐reported and education. A MANOVA assessed differences in physical activity, sleep disturbance, sleep‐related impairment and emotional overeating between the BPD and control group. A second MANOVA explored these behaviours across BPD stages within the clinical group. Results revealed significantly higher levels of sleep‐related problems among young people with BPD features compared to controls. However, no significant differences were found in physical activity or emotional overeating. Furthermore, problematic LHRBs did not show a significant association with BPD stage. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the relationship between BPD and problematic LHRBs, emphasizing the importance of early intervention targeting sleep‐related problems in young people with BPD, alongside addressing other aspects of BPD and associated LHRBs.