Can Psychological Assessment Address Borderline Phenomena?

Abstract

Literature about psychological test findings in borderline disorders reflects changes in the meaning of the term and can be confusing when viewed from today's prespective. Most descriptions have referred to a concept of borderline schizophrenia. This paper reviews psychological assessment of borderline patients by means of the Rorschach, by using WAIS/Rorschach patterns, and, post-DSM-III, by using the MMPI. It focuses on the Rorschach's sensitivity to several dimensions relevant to borderline pathology. The concept that borderline disorders can include mild forms of affective and schizophrenic illness was examined by applying a Rorschach content scoring system to a borderline sample. The findings demonstrate Rorschach ability to identify borderline subtypes and offer independent validation of affective and schizotypal subtypes in the borderline realm.