Tj. Trull, Structural relations between borderline personality disorder features and putative etiological correlates, J ABN PSYCH, 110(3), 2001, pp. 471-481
This study assessed the structural relations between borderline personality
disorder (BPD) features and purported etiological correlates. Approximatel
y 5,000 18-year-old nonclinical young adults were screened for BPD features
, and 2 cohorts of participants (total N = 421; approximately one half of w
hom endorsed significant borderline features) completed the laboratory phas
e of the study. Measures included self-report and interview-based assessmen
ts of BPD psychopathology, personality, psychopathology in biological paren
ts, and childhood physical and sexual abuse. Significant relations between
BPD features and purported etiological correlates of BPD were found. A mult
ivariate model that included parental psychopathology, childhood abuse, and
personality factors provided an adequate fit to the data and supported the
contention that the personality traits disinhibition and negative affectiv
ity underlie BPD features.