Risk Factors for Borderline Personality Disorder in Adolescents

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the association between variables reflecting childhood adversity, protective childhood experiences, and the five-factor model of personality and BPD in adolescents. Two groups of adolescents were studied: 104 met criteria for BPD and 60 were psychiatrically healthy. Adverse and protective childhood experiences were assessed using a semistructured interview. The five-factor model of personality was assessed using the NEO-FFI. Eight of nine variables indicating severity of abuse and neglect, positive childhood relationships, childhood competence, and the personality factors studied were found to be significant bivariate risk factors for adolescent BPD. However, in a multivariate model, severity of neglect, higher levels of neuroticism, and lower levels of childhood competence were found to be the best risk factor model. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that all three types of risk factors studied are significantly associated with BPD in adolescents.