Adult Attachment, Personality Traits, and Borderline Personality Disorder Features in Young Adults

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that insecure attachment patterns and a trait disposition toward negative affect and impulsivity are both associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) features. According to attachment theory, insecure attachment patterns impart greater risk for the maladaptive personality traits underlying BPD. Hence, insecure attachment might be indirectly related to BPD through its association with these traits. The current cross-sectional study used structural equation modeling to compare two competing models of the relationship between adult attachment patterns, trait negative affect and impulsivity, and BPD features in a large nonclinical sample of young adults: (M1) attachment anxiety and avoidance are positively related to trait negative affect and impulsivity, which in turn, are directly associated with BPD features; and (M2) trait negative affect and impulsivity are positively related to attachment anxiety and avoidance, which in turn, are directly associated with BPD features. Consistent with attachment theory, M1 provided a better fit to the data than M2. However, only attachment anxiety, and not attachment avoidance, was significantly associated with negative affect and impulsivity. The results favored a model in which the relationship between adult attachment anxiety and BPD features is fully mediated by trait negative affect and impulsivity.

Poor family functioning mediates the link between childhood adversity and adolescent nonsuicidal self‐injury

“…Impaired family functioning later in adolescence is in turn robustly associated with NSSI (Gratz et al., 2002). Family functioning may influence adolescent NSSI through several risk factors for NSSI such as impulsivity, emotion regulation (Scott, Levy, & Pincus, 2009), self‐esteem (Collins & Read, 1990), interpersonal skills (Hazel et al., 2014), coping skills, and mental illness (Moretti & Peled, 2004). These pathways warrant further investigation.…”

Sintomas de tept e trauma na infância em pacientes com transtorno da personalidade bordeline

“…Esse achado também corrobora teorias que reportam que o risco de se desenvolver TPB é 14 vezes mais alto em crianças que sofreram abuso sexual (Cohen et al, 2005, apud Cartwright, 2008. Comprovando, assim, a teoria de que pacientes borderline tiveram, em sua infância, pais que não proveram os cuidados necessários a seus filhos, deixando-os mais vulneráveis a possíveis riscos (Kernberg & Michels, 2009;Beck, Freeman & Davis, 2005;Lieb, Zanarini, Schmahl, Linehan & Bohus, 2004;Scott, Levy & Pincus, 2009;Helgeland & Torgensen, 2004;Cartwright, 2008).…”

“…Essas descobertas demonstram as grandes dificuldades desses pais em prover cuidados básicos à criança (Látolavá & Prasko, 2010). Além disso, também fortalece a dificuldade de apego saudável, o que muitas vezes intensifica os sintomas do TPB, como dificuldades nos padrões de relacionamentos interpessoais (Scott, Levy & Pincus, 2009) A ligação com abuso sexual na infância é relacionada também com TEPT (Murray, 1993). Ainda que a relação de trauma com TPB não seja causal, é um dos fatores que têm um grande valor em sua etiologia (Helgeland & Torgensen, 2004).…”

“…Já em uma perspectiva psicodinâmica, o TPB parece estar relacionado à dissociação ou cisão da agressividade, as quais teriam origem em crianças excessivamente agressivas ou pais muito frustrantes. Outro fator relevante parece ser a incapacidade dos pais em prover cuidados necessários e validar adequadamente os sentimentos de suas crianças (Kernberg & Michels, 2009;Beck, Freeman & Davis, 2005;Scott, Levy & Pincus, 2009). Além dessas, também se consideram alterações encefálicas funcionais e estruturais (Oldaham, 2009).…”

Lien entre troubles de personnalité, troubles de l’attachement et comportements violents : synthèse des écrits

“…Certains troubles de la personnalité sont généralement liés à un style d'attachement : les personnalités du groupe A (schizoïde, schizotypique et paranoïaque) sont associées au type d'attachement évitant tandis que les personnalités du groupe B (antisociale, histrionique, borderline et narcissique) et celles du groupe C (évitante, dépendante et obsessionnelle) sont associées au type d'attachement anxieux (Bartholomew et al, 2001 ;Bender et al, 2001 ;Crawford et al, 2007 ;Gunderson, 1996 ;Levy et Orlans, 2004 ;Magnavita, 2004 ;Mauricio et al, 2007 ;Sable, 1997 ;Scott et al, 2009 ;Timmerman et Emmelkamp, 2006). La personnalité borderline se caractérise par une instabilité affective, relationnelle et de l'image de soi en plus d'une impulsivité marquée (APA, 2000 ;Oldham, 1991).…”