Development and Validation of Personality Disorder Spectra Scales for the MMPI–2–RF

Elucidating the relationship between borderline personality disorder and intimate partner violence

“…The MMPI-2-RF can be scored using data from the MMPI-2 (Tarescavage, Alosco, Ben-Porath, Wood, & Luna-Jones, 2014), and this latter version was administered to all participants upon intake to the programme. The BPD spectra scale has shown very good internal consistency reliability and promising construct validity, including very large correlations (rs > .70) with other well-validated measures of BPD (Brown & Sellbom, 2019;Sellbom et al, 2018).…”

“…BPD has also been conceptualised from the perspective of an Alternative DSM-5 Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD), which is meant to address several challenges with the traditional personality disorder diagnostic system. While the formal DSM-5 personality disorder model considers traditional categorical diagnoses (one either has the disorder or does not), a general consensus has emerged among most personality disorder (PD) researchers that PDs are best conceptualized using dimensional personality traits (Hopwood et al, 2018). The limitations of categorical PD models are well recognized, and include high co-morbidity (with the majority of patients who are diagnosed with a PD meeting criteria for more than one) (Livesley, 2003;Zimmerman et al, 2005), extreme heterogeneity among individuals with the same PD diagnosis, lack of empirical evidence for PD categories (Eaton, Krueger, South, Simms, & Clark, 2011), temporal instability of diagnoses (M. T. Shea et al, 2002), and arbitrary distinctions between normal personality, abnormal traits, and clear disorders (Widiger & Trull, 2007).…”

“…First was to examine the relationship between IPV perpetration and BPD using the DSM-5 AMPD dimensional operationalisation of BPD, and directly compare these findings to those of traditional BPD. Given that all previous research on BPD and IPV perpetration has been conducted using traditional operationalisations of BPD it was considered important to bring BPD-IPV perpetration research into line with the contemporary empirically based conceptualisation of BPD (Hopwood et al, 2018). Further, examining the specific AMPD BPD-relevant trait dimensions that influence the association between BPD and IPV perpetration was intended to enhance understanding of this relationship, and potentially provide a basis for tailored IPV interventions or early intervention for individuals with BPD.…”

“…RF) BPD Spectra scale. The MMPI-2-RF BPD spectra scale was used to assess traditional BPD in this study; this scale is one of a set of 10 personality disorder spectra scales developed by Sellbom, Waugh, and Hopwood (2018) for the dimensional assessment of traditional PD constructs using the MMPI-2-RF (Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008;Tellegen & Ben-Porath, 2011). This multiscale inventory is a widely used self-report inventory designed to assess personality and psychopathology features, and is the most recent iteration of the MMPI (Hathaway & McKinley, 1943).…”

“…Given empirical evidence suggesting that BPD is best conceptualized as a dimensional construct (see Hopwood et al, 2018, for a brief review) as well as the well-established deficiencies of the traditional categorical PD model in general (i.e. high co-morbidity, extreme heterogeneity among individuals with the same PD diagnosis and lack of empirical evidence for PD categories [Eaton et al, 2011;Widiger & Trull, 2007;Zimmerman et al, 2005]), it was considered important to examine the BPD-IPV relationship using an operationalisation of BPD grounded in empirical general personality research, and consistent with how most current PD researchers consider PDs to be best conceptualised (Hopwood et al, 2018;Skodol, 2012). This research project establishes a clear association between IPV perpetration and the most recent contemporary conceptualisation of BPD, comparable to that of traditional BPD.…”