Exploring Subgroups of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms through Symptom Experience

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a detrimental and complex disorder under much scrutiny in personality disorder literature. Heterogeneity within diagnosis, or unique combinations of symptoms diagnosed as BPD, is excessive within this disorder. Researchers have attempted to identify subgroups of BPD symptoms to identify the underlying structure of BPD and inform this issue; however, results have been inconsistent. The purpose of this research is to examine the underlying structure of BPD while considering two specific design issues within the previous literature: population type and method of assessment of BPD. This research compares retrospective, weekly, and immediate experience of BPD symptoms through traditional assessment techniques (structured clinical interview) and novel assessment techniques (weekly and immediate assessments) between distinct populations (participants meeting criteria for BPD and participants who do not). The results of this research can be interpreted in more than one way, but a parsimonious one-factor structure of BPD is likely the most preferable. Previously reported trends of symptom experience are validated and new potential trends of symptom experience are introduced. Improving our understanding of the underlying nature of BPD provides guidance for future research within empirical and clinical settings and facilitates the efficient development and evaluation of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of individuals with BPD.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Hawkins, Ashley A.

• Borderline Personality Disorder

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/37664

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/37664