Predicting Borderline Personality Features on the Basis of Alexithymia and Attitude toward Mother

Authors

1 Department of Psychology, Shahid Chamran University, Ahvaz, IR Iran

2 Young Researchers and Elite Club, Shiraz, IR Iran

3 Department of Health, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, IR Iran

4 Department of Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, IR Iran

5 Department of Psychology, Allame Tabatabaee University, Tehran IR Iran

Abstract

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious illness characterized by emotional dysregulation, impulsivity and impaired interpersonal relationship. Yet, few studies have examined borderline personality features, concomitant alexithymia and impaired relationship toward parents in adolescents. Objectives: This article explored the association between alexithymia and attitude toward mother as predictive factors of borderline personality features in high school sample of students. Patients and Methods: Three hundred students (150 females, 150 males) with a mean age of 15.72 years, were selected via multistage random sampling. Data was collected by Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children, Toronto Alexithymia Scale and Child’s Attitude toward Mother Scale. Analyzing data were performed using canonical correlation. Results: Structural coefficients showed that the pattern of high scores in borderline personality features correlated with the pattern of high scores in alexithymia and child’s attitude toward mother. Therefore, the results showed that combination of low borderline personality features can probably decrease the likelihood of alexithymia and child’s attitude toward mother. Conclusions: Alexithymia and child’s attitude toward mother can predict borderline personality features and explain a considerable variance of the survival index.

Keywords


  1. 1.Neacsiu AD, Lungu A, Harned MS, Rizvi SL, Linehan MM. Impact of dialectical behavior therapy versus community treatment by experts on emotional experience, expression, and acceptance in borderline personality disorder. Behav Res Ther. 2014;53:47–54.

    1. Lazarus SA, Cheavens JS, Festa F, Rosenthal ZM. Interpersonal functioning in borderline personality disorder: A systematic review of behavioral and laboratory-based assessments. Clinical Psychology Review. 2014;34(3):193–205.
    2. Veague HB, Hooley JM. Enhanced sensitivity and response bias for male anger in women with borderline personality disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2014;215(3):687–93.
    3. Haugaard JJ. Recognizing and Treating Uncommon Behavioral and Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents Who have been Severely Maltreated: Bipolar Disorders. Child Maltreatment. 2004;9(2):131–8.
    4. Lang S, Stopsack M, Kotchoubey B, Frick C, Grabe HJ, Spitzer C, et al. Cortical inhibition in alexithymic patients with borderline personality disorder. Biol Psychol. 2011;88(2-3):227–32.
    5. Webb D, McMurran M. Emotional intelligence, alexithymia and borderline personality disorder traits in young adults. Personality and Mental Health. 2008;2(4):265–73.
    6. Carver CS, Scheier MF. Origins and functions of positive and negative affect: A control-process view. Psychological Review. 1990;97(1):19–35.
    7. Delavar A. [Theory and Research in the Humanities and Social Sciences].Tehran: Roshd Publications; 1997.
    8. Crick NR, Murray-Close D, Woods K. Borderline personality features in childhood: a short-term longitudinal study. Dev Psychopathol. 2005;17(4):1051–70.
    9. Sharp C, Ha C, Michonski J, Venta A, Carbone C. Borderline personality disorder in adolescents: evidence in support of the Childhood Interview for DSM-IV Borderline Personality Disorder in a sample of adolescent inpatients. Comprehensive Psychiatry. 2012;53(6):765–74.
    10. Chang B, Sharp C, Ha C. The criterion validity of the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children in an adolescent inpatient setting. J Pers Disord. 2011;25(4):492–503.
    11. Sajadi SF. . [Designing and testing a model of some precedents and outcomes of borderline personality disorder in high school students of Shiraz].. Ahvaz: Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz; 2013.
    12. Evren C, Cinar O, Evren B. Relationship of alexithymia and dissociation with severity of borderline personality features in male substance-dependent inpatients. Compr Psychiatry. 2012;53(6):854–9. 14. Tull MT, Medaglia E, Roemer L. An investigation of the construct validity of the 20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale through the use of a verbalization task. J Psychosom Res. 2005;59(2):77–84.
    13. Besharat MA. Reliability and factorial validity of a Farsi version of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale with a sample of Iranian students. Psychol Rep. 2007;101(1):209–20.
    14. Dwairy M. Parenting styles and mental health of PalestinianArab adolescents in Israel. Transcult Psychiatry. 2004;41(2):233–52.
    15. Grotevant HD, Carlson CI. Family assessment: A guide to methods and measures.lONDON: Guilford Press; 1989.
    16. Sherry A, Henson RK. Conducting and interpreting canonical correlation analysis in personality research: a user-friendly primer. J Pers Assess. 2005;84(1):37–48.
    17. Ridings LE. . Emotional dysregulation and borderline personality disorder: explaining the link between secondary psychopathy and alexithymia.. Dayton: University of Dayton; 2011.
    18. Cohen P, Chen H, Gordon K, Johnson J, Brook J, Kasen S. Socioeconomic background and the developmental course of schizotypal and borderline personality disorder symptoms. Dev Psychopathol. 2008;20(2):633–50.
    19. Bandelow B, Krause J, Wedekind D, Broocks A, Hajak G, Ruther E. Early traumatic life events, parental attitudes, family history, and birth risk factors in patients with borderline personality disorder and healthy controls. Psychiatry Res. 2005;134(2):169–79.
    20. Links PS, Steiner M, Offord DR, Eppel A. Characteristics of borderline personality disorder: a Canadian study. Can J Psychiatry. 1988;33(5):336–40.
    21. Bradley SJ. The relationship of early maternal separation to borderline personality in children and adolescents: a pilot study. Am J Psychiatry. 1979;136(4A):424–6.
    22. Bretherton I, Munholland K. Internal working models in attachment relationships: A construct revisited. In: Cassidy J, Shaver PR editors. Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications.. New York: Guilford Press; 1999. p. 89–111.
    23. Crawford TN, Cohen PR, Chen H, Anglin DM, Ehrensaft M. Early maternal separation and the trajectory of borderline personality disorder symptoms. Dev Psychopathol. 2009;21(3):1013–30.
    24. Bezirganian S, Cohen P, Brook JS. The impact of mother-child interaction on the development of borderline personality disorder. Am J Psychiatry. 1993;150(12):1836–42.
    25. Bagby RM, Parker JD, Taylor GJ. The twenty-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale--I. Item selection and cross-validation of the factor structure. J Psychosom Res. 1994;38(1):23–32.
    26. Kiyotaki Y, Yokoyama K. Relationships of eating disturbances to alexithymia, need for social approval, and gender identity among Japanese female undergraduate students. Personality and Individual Differences. 2006;41(4):609–18.