(PS8-C58) Borderline Personality Disorder Traits and Functional Impairment: The Role of Separation Concerns

Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience significant distress in daily life. In order to receive a BPD diagnosis in the DSM-5, individuals must exhibit a minimum of five out of nine diagnostic criteria. This allows for as many as 256 combinations to warrant a BPD diagnosis, leading to substantial variation in symptomatology and behavioral outcomes across affected individuals. The present study therefore aims to improve our understanding of heterogeneous profiles by identifying which BPD traits play a central role in various life domains. Undergraduate participants (n = 508; 63.8% Female, 36.2% Male; 37.8% White, 32.5% Black, 29.7% Other) were recruited at a southeastern public university. Participants were required to identify as 18-22 years old (M = 18.84, SD = 1.05) to closely resemble the sample obtained in the 6-factor model of the Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline Features Scale (PAI-BOR) being used in study analyses. This model includes key BPD factor traits: Impulsivity, Mood Instability, Chronic Emptiness, Separation Concerns, Negative Relations, and Reckless Spending (Jackson & Trull, 2001). Participants completed self-report questionnaires to assess BPD traits (PAI-BOR) and functioning across six principal life domains. Thus, we examined how specific BPD factor traits predict principal life domain outcomes. Results revealed that Separation Concerns is the single factor to significantly predict functioning for the majority (i.e., five out of six) of the life domains (i.e., global functioning [β = -.45, p < .001]; social functioning [β = -.26, p = .027]; romantic attachment functioning [β = .21, p < .001]; emotional intelligence functioning [β = -.10, p < .001]; and emotional regulation functioning [β = 8.90, p < .001]). Of note, there were not any BPD traits found to significantly predict romantic trust functioning, which may underscore that the frequent diminished trustworthiness of partners reported by individuals with BPD traits is better explained by a secondary effect from another life outcome. Additional research is needed to clarify which variables contribute to poorer trust in individuals with BPD traits. Furthermore, the present study findings suggest that targeting separation concerns in treatment settings with individuals who exhibit BPD traits may improve functional outcomes across various life domains. Moving forward, it would therefore be advantageous to conduct research investigating how to best intervene with separation concerns among individuals with BPD traits.