Borderline personality disorder symptoms as predictors of 4-year romantic relationship dysfunction in young women: Addressing issues of specificity

The relationships between romantic relationship dysfunction and symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), other personality disorders, and de pression were examined prospectively in a community sample of 142 late adol escent women. Although BPD symptoms predicted 4-year romantic dysfunction ( romantic chronic stress, conflicts, partner satisfaction, abuse, and unwant ed pregnancy), the associations were not unique to BPD. Instead, relationsh ip dysfunction was better predicted by a cumulative index of non-BPD Axis I I pathology. Depression did not predict outcomes uniquely when Axis II symp toms were included, except in the case of unplanned pregnancy. The results suggest that although BPD is associated with relationship dysfunction, the effect is a more general phenomenon applying rather broadly to Axis II path ology. The results also highlight the importance of subclinical psychopatho logy in the construction of early intimate relationships.