Publications
Featured Publication
Published December 2025 in Personality and Mental Health
Peer-Designed, Peer-Led Online Support for People with BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER
We are proud to share that Emotions Matter’s BPD Peer Online Support Group model has been published in the journal Personality and Mental Health.
The paper, titled “Processes and Early Lessons From a Peer-Designed Recovery-Oriented Borderline Personality Disorder Online Support Group,” describes how our peer-led support groups were designed, how they were implemented, and what we’ve learned from the program’s early years (2019–2022).
This is a meaningful milestone for our community. It shows that programs created and led by people with lived experience of BPD can be structured, sustainable, and valued by participants.
What the Study Found
Between April 2019 and June 2022:
138 peer support sessions were held
1,383 people participated
Participants joined from 44 countries, 49 U.S. states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico
As demand increased, especially during COVID-19, we responded by:
Training additional peer facilitators
Increasing the number of groups offered
Expanding group capacity
Among survey respondents:
48% had never met another person with BPD before attending
44% had never received BPD-specific treatment
Participants reported high satisfaction and said they would recommend the group to others
These findings suggest the program reached people who may otherwise have been isolated or disconnected from care.
Why This Matters
Many people with BPD struggle to find affordable, accessible, and stigma-free support.
This publication highlights the role peer-led programs can play in expanding options beyond traditional treatment settings. It also reinforces something our community already knows: people with lived experience can lead meaningful, recovery-oriented spaces.
Access the Publicly Available Version
Emotions Matter’s Stigma Free BPD Publications
Click on the publication below to download each resource.
If you have used our single case agreement resource to access BPD treatment, please provide feedback about your experience here. Thank you!
BPD Loss Community
Click to download our BPD Loss Support flyer.
Emotions Matter offers a free monthly online support group for those who have lost loved ones to BPD and seek the support of others who understand this unique loss journey.
For more information, contact Emotions Matter at info@emotionsmatterbpd.org.
Jessica Rita Dieguez, Sept. 15, 1986 - Oct. 29, 2016
Borderline Personality Disorder Loss Wall of Remembrance
Emotions Matter maintains a Memorial Wall of Remembrance to honor the lives of people who have lost their lives as a result of borderline personality disorder (BPD).
The purpose of this initiative is to:
1) Collect stories about individuals who have lost their lives to BPD.
2) Bring awareness to trends in BPD loss that might help us advocate for better mental health care.
3) Encourage researchers to study BPD loss to improve mortality associated with BPD.
4) Help those coping with BPD loss.
If you know of someone who had borderline personality disorder, and lost their lives, please share their story with us.
