Objective: This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the relationship between borderline personality disorder symptoms, and mindfulness. Method: We identified 20 eligible studies ( n = 5736) that we included in the meta-analysis. We hypothesized a negative association between borderline personality disorder symptoms and mindfulness, with potential moderation by participant and study characteristics. We used meta-analytic techniques. Results: The results indicate a negative relationship between borderline personality disorder symptoms and mindfulness ( r = -0.32, 95% CI [-0.38, -0.26]). The association was stronger in studies using the total score of borderline personality disorder symptoms ( r = -0.38, 95% CI [-0.46, -0.30]) compared to the studies assessing individual subscales. Non-judging (r = -0.46) and acting with awareness ( r = -0.35) showed the strongest negative associations, while observing showed a positive association ( r = 0.11). The relation is also stronger in studies using European samples ( r = -0.51) and in those using The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale ( r = -0.45). Conclusions: The negative relationship between borderline personality disorder symptoms and mindfulness across clinical and non-clinical samples suggests that mindfulness-based interventions could be beneficial for prevention programs in at-risk populations. Furthermore, the stronger relationships observed with non-judgment and acting with awareness suggest that clinical interventions could benefit from specifically emphasizing these components. Preregistration: This study was preregistered in PROSPERO (CRD42024558067).

Background: Dissociation is associated with multiple psychiatric disorders and mental health issues. However, there are some limitations in the existing studies, such as the predominant use of clinical samples and the lack of focus on potential mediators that can explain this relationship. Among the latter, an unclear self-concept may serve as a risk factor for many psychological disturbances, while a well-established self-concept may be a resilience factor. This study aimed to examine the gender differences among the variables, to test whether dissociative experiences are associated with psychopathological symptoms in a non-clinical sample, and to explore the mediating role of self-concept clarity. Materials and methods: 257 participants (M_age = 23.92 ± 7.33, 69.6% females) were included in the research. The Symptoms Checklist-90, The Dissociative Experiences Scale, and The Self-Concept Clarity Scale were used. Results: Women scored higher on somatization (M_women = 1.28, SD = 0.86) than men (M_men = 0.93, SD = 0.70), t(255) = 3.47, p = 0.001, d = 0.42. Moreover, women had a higher level of depression (M_women = 1.37, SD = 0.96) compared to men (M_men = 0.98, SD = 0.77), t(255) = 3.49, p = 0.001, d = 0.43. Dissociative experiences were positively associated with psychopathological symptoms (r = 0.69, p < 0.01). Self-concept clarity mediated this relationship (β = 0.21, SE = 0.04, 95% CI [0.13, 0.30]). Conclusions: The findings showed gender differences regarding psychopathological symptoms and highlighted the importance of self-concept clarity in reducing the risk of developing them.