Interpersonal problems and social dysfunction: Examining patients with avoidant and borderline personality disorder symptoms

Assessing family relations in borderline personality disorder: A relational approach

The aims of the current study are to describe the basic family relationships, parental bonding patterns, and dyadic adjustment of families with offspring diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and to explore the correlations between these variables related to family relations and BPD symptomatology. The sample consisted of 194 participants, including parents from the control (N = 76) and clinical group (N = 76), and patients with BPD (N = 42). All progenitors completed a measure of family relations, parental bonding, and dyadic adjustment. Patients completed a measure of parental bonding and borderline symptomatology. The results showed significant differences between both groups in marital and parental functioning, marital satisfaction, dyadic adjustment, and care. Correlations among family variables and BPD symptomatology were also found. In summary, findings underscore the significance of comprehending the complexity of family relationships in BPD while advocating for a relational perspective when examining the family dynamics.

Examining Schizotypal Personality Scales Within and Across Interpersonal Circumplex Surfaces

Differing perspectives on the operationalization of schizotypal personality pathology (STPP) have led to numerous multidimensional assessment measures. The current study applied the interpersonal construct validation approach to self-report data from 856 undergraduate students to formally examine the interpersonal content, similarities, and differences in the subscales of four measures of STPP within and across two interpersonal circumplex surfaces using a bootstrapping methodology for computing confidence intervals around circumplex structural summary method parameters. Results suggested that negative-like expressions of STPP are prototypically and distinctively interpersonal constructs associated with cold and socially avoidant interpersonal problems and hypersensitivity to others' warmth and affection. Positive-like expressions of STPP as assessed by two out of four measures were prototypically and distinctively interpersonal constructs associated with vindictiveness. Across four measures, there was notable overlap in interpersonal correlates among related subscales, suggesting convergent validity. However, subscales containing social anxiety content were associated with more submissive (i.e., socially avoidant) interpersonal problems than subscales without social anxiety content.

Agency in avoidant personality disorder: a narrative review

Objectives

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is a highly prevalent personality disorder, especially in clinical settings, yet scarcely researched. People diagnosed with AvPD have severe impairments in functioning and suffer greatly, yet we still lack meta-analytic evidence for therapy and only a few RCTs are conducted. Patient factors are the most important for outcome in therapy, in general. Lack of agency might be a core deficit in people diagnosed with AvPD. Their conditions might be improved if we understand their agency better. We review previous research regarding psychological mechanisms and interpersonal relationships that facilitate or hinder agency in AvPD in daily life and psychotherapy.

Methods

Summarizing original literature in a narrative review with reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

People diagnosed with AvPD seem to have significant impairments in their sense of agency due to a lack of emotional awareness, an overweight of inhibiting vs. activating emotions, and difficulties regulating emotions. Difficulties also seem related to high levels of attachment avoidance and fear, creating strong ambivalence in social needs, in addition to a strong tendency to subordinate to others. A weak sense of self with a poor narrative, self-doubt, and harsh self-critique makes a reflexive and intentional stand increasingly difficult for these people.

Conclusion

This review gives a clinically meaningful understanding of core strengths and deficits in the personality functioning of AvPD that can help clinicians map out important therapeutic work, identify barriers to client-agency in therapy, and work through relational difficulties in the therapeutic alliance.

Psychometric properties of the Persian version of short-form five factor borderline inventory (FFBI-SF)

BACKGROUND

The Five-Factor Borderline Inventory-Short Form (FFBI-SF) is a self-report measure developed to assess traits of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) from the perspective of the Five-Factor Model of general personality. This study was designed to examine the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent/discriminant validity of the Persian FFBI-SF in a sample of Iranian university students.

METHODS

A total of 641 university students (M-age = 28.04, SD = 8.21, 66.7% women) completed the online forms of the FFBI-SF, PID-5-BF, and Mini IPIP.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis supported the original and modified (without item 47) twelve-factor models. Also, Cronbach's alpha (α) for the FFBI-SF scores ranged from unacceptable to excellent ranges. However, when relying on MIC values to measure internal consistency, the FFBI-SF Total and subscale scores demonstrated adequate internal consistency. Finally, the FFBI Total and subscale scores showed the expected relations with other personality measures scores (e.g., Neuroticism, Antagonism, and Conscientiousness), which supports the validity of the interpretation of the FFBI-SF scores.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicated that FFBI-SF is a useful tool with sound psychometric properties for assessing BPD traits in Iranian students and may spark research in other Iranian settings (e.g., community and clinical samples).

Contemporary psychological perspectives of personality disorders

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The aim of this study was to review the recent literature on contemporary psychological perspectives of personality disorders, including novel psychotherapeutic interventions aimed at these vulnerable individuals.

RECENT FINDINGS

Among the various psychological theories and models of personality disorders, still the most popular and researched are psychodynamic, cognitive and interpersonal perspectives. More specifically, object relations theory, cognitive schema conceptualization and interpersonal circumplex model have produced the most empirical investigations of personality disorders in recent years. Latest work has suggested that all three perspectives have contributed to and are compatible with the dimensional personality disorders framework in DSM-5-AMPD and ICD-11 (including level of personality functioning and personality traits). These models have yielded specific psychological treatments of personality disorders; although most psychotherapies have been constructed for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), there is an increasing number of treatment modalities aimed at individuals with other forms of personality disorder, such as those with narcissistic or antisocial traits/disorders. More research into their effectiveness and long-term benefits is necessary.

SUMMARY

Novel research keeps updating our knowledge on the cause, manifestations and psychological treatments of personality disorders, particularly from psychodynamic, cognitive and interpersonal perspectives.