Thesis (M.A.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2008. / Directed by Rosemery Nelson-Gray; submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Apr. 13, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 32-42).

The aim of this research is to examine attachment in offenders with mild intellectual disability. Insecure attachment is evidenced as a developmental risk factor with regard to antisociality, in the mainstream population. However there is a dearth of evidence with regard to attachment and the development of antisociality in offenders with intellectual disability (ID). Differences in lifespan development and cognitive limitations may affect the development of attachment bonds in this group. This research explores attachment (measured retrospectively in childhood), relationships to perceived parenting, emotion and personality pathology in offenders with ID. Adaptation of an existing self report measure (Relationship Questionnaire) (RQ) resulted in the development of the ‘Adapted Relationship Questionnaire’ (ARQ). To test construct validity and reliability the ARQ and the RQ were administered to 60 university student participants. Participants rated each questionnaire with regard to retrospective childhood attachment, 41 additional participants filled in the ARQ only. No significant differences were found between categorical attachment ratings of attachment on the RQ and ARQ. A test of construct validity showed convergence between the ‘Fearful Avoidant’ and ‘Preoccupied’ attachment styles. Principal Components Analysis (Direct Oblimin) resulted in a three factor solution for the ARQ of ‘Secure’, ‘Anxious Avoidant and ‘Dismissing Avoidant’ attachment styles which showed Cronbach’s Alpha ratings of .69, .87 and .84 respectively. A control group (n25) of participants with mild ID, who had no offending history, and a group of offenders with ID (n38) completed the ARQ. Background, forensic and childhood adversity information was gathered from file review for offenders. The Parental Bonding Inventory (PBI) was completed by offenders with mild ID and the Emotional Problem Solving (EPS) scale and Interpersonal Adjectives Scale (IAS) was completed by clinical staff involved in the support of the participant. Borderline and Antisocial Personality Disorder was assessed by consensus rating from file review, clinicians ratings, observational ratings of staff and staff interview using the Structured Assessment of Personality (SAP). Consensus agreement was attained from three sources of the assessment sources before the particular PD trait was rated positively. Assessment of emotion in controls was carried out using the Dundee Provocation Inventory (DPI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Results show no significant differences in attachment style relative to gender or comparison between offender and controls of non offenders with ID or offenders compared to mainstream student participants. No significant relationships were found between attachment style and childhood adversity. Orderly relationships were found within the 'Secure' attachment style with positively relationships to 'Optimal Parental Care', ratings of 'Self Esteem' and level of submissiveness and compliance within interpersonal styles. The insecure 'Anxious Avoidant' attachment style related positively to the low care/high protection parenting style with negative relationships to dimensional ratings of care within the parental relationship and submissiveness and compliance within ratings of interpersonal style. The insecure 'Dismissing Avoidant' attachment style in offenders with ID showed a negative relationship to optimal parenting and a positive relationship to a verbally aggressive, coercive interpersonal style and also antisocial personality disorder. Only two participants were allocated a diagnosis of Borderline personality disorder which did not facilitate quantitative statistical analysis of this group. Within the control group 'Secure' attachment style appeared to be a protective factor to emotional difficulties, and was positively related to the perception of optimal parenting and care received in childhood but not parental protection. The insecure 'Anxious Avoidant' attachment style appeared to act as a risk factor to the development of emotional difficulties. No significant relationships were found between the 'Dismissing Avoidant' style and emotional problems.

People diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have been subjected to stigma and told that their difficulties are untreatable. Although recovery is now understood to be possible for this client group, much controversy exists around whether BPD is, in fact, an illness. The implications of this belief have not yet been explored from the perspective of the client. Furthermore, little research has attempted to deconstruct what constitutes the therapeutic alliance for people diagnosed with BPD and their clinicians from a Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) perspective. The present research study therefore aimed to explore what impacts on the recovery of people diagnosed with BPD. This included investigating the impact of the construct of illness and the therapeutic relationship. The research employed a correlational and non-randomised design, using a cross-sectional approach. The Repertory Grid technique was used among a sample of 20 clients diagnosed with BPD and their clinicians. Relevant questionnaires were also administered to ascertain BPD symptomatology and the perceived quality of the therapeutic relationship. Among findings, a statistically significant correlation is presented for the association between a poor therapeutic relationship and increased BPD symptoms. Evidence (in the form of a borderline significant correlation) is also revealed to suggest that clients diagnosed with BPD construe fewer benefits from psychological therapy when they consider the well-ill construct to be more important (i.e. superordinate). The results provide new information with regard to the treatment of people diagnosed with BPD.

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / The relatively rapidly development of cognitive-behavioural approaches to various psychological conditions, has prompted clinicians and researchers to investigate the borderline personality disorder more thoroughly. Research has evidenced the uniqueness of the borderline personality disorder in terms of description, etiology and therefore treatment. of the various treatments proposed, the cognitive-behavioural approaches appear to be most effective. Latest developments in this area emphasize cognitive factors such as content-specitic cognitions and Early Maladaptive Schemas. These factors are important tor psychotherapeutic purposes. A hypothesis was formulated which stated broadly that cognitive-behavioural approaches would result in equal treatment efficacy, whether process(schema) or content based, and investigated in the context of a pilot clinical trial with tour subjects. Apart from measures for depression and cognitive processes in the BPD, a depth-of-processing task and a schema questionnaire were utilized in investigation or the hypothesis. These measures, in addition to CB interventions, were applied to a small group or carefully selected BPD's, with a secondary diagnosis or depression. Findings supported the basic hypothesis of the study, and demonstrated that cognitive-behavioural approaches of either content or process typos are equally etricacious in treatment of the borderline porsonality disorder.

No description available.

This study investigated whether a defendant?s history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and/or personality disorder (PD) diagnosis affected juror decision-making in a child sexual abuse trial. The personality disorders in the study were borderline personality disorder (BPD) and antisocial personality disorder (APD). Participants were 186 college students who read a summary of the trial and then made various juror decisions. The defendant?s CSA history, alone or combined with PD diagnosis, did not affect guilt ratings or sentence recommendations, indicating that jurors did not automatically assume that a defendant who had been abused as a child was guilty (as an adult) of being an abuser. However, when the defendant had a PD diagnosis, there were higher guilt ratings than when there was no PD diagnosis. PD diagnosis was the best predictor of guilt ratings, suggesting that jurors perceive defendants more negatively if they have borderline or antisocial personality disorder.

No description available.

No description available.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) are both characterized by inflexible and pervasive behavioral patterns that frequently lead to significant functional impairment. Although considerable research has been conducted on the biological and phenotypic aspects of these disorders, researching, diagnosing, and treating them remains a challenge, primarily due to the difficulties associated with the categorical nature of current diagnostic methods (Skodol and Bender, 2009) which, in turn, results in significant within-group heterogeneity and between-group co-occurrence. Given the relative paucity of research comparing aspects of these disorders with one another, the current study aimed to evaluate overlapping and differentiating aspects of BPD and SPD by examining the integrity of a brain region frequently implicated in both disorders, the cingulum. The current study used a 3T Siemens scanner to acquire structural and diffusion tensor imaging in age-, sex-, and education-matched groups of 28 adults with BPD, 32 adults with SPD, and 36 healthy control participants (HC). The anterior and posterior cingulate were manually traced on all participants and then volume and fractional anisotropy (FA) comparisons were conducted across the groups for the left and right anterior and posterior cingulate. Compared with HC, SPD patients had smaller relative cingulate white matter volume and BPD patients had marginally significantly smaller relative cingulate white matter volume, and the two patient groups did not differ from one another. With regard to FA findings, a spectrum pattern emerged, such that the BPD group had significantly lower FA in the posterior cingulum relative to controls, whereas the SPD group also had lower FA in this region but did not differ from HC. The BPD group had marginally lower FA in dorsal aspects of the anterior cingulum when compared with HC, and the SPD patients did not differ from HC or BPD individuals. In summary, the current study provides evidence of aberrant connectivity of the cingulum in BPD patients, but not SPD patients, compared with HC individuals. Consistent with prior work, overall results suggest potential involvement of cingulum in BPD symptomatology. / Psychology

In 2003, Winter, Watson, Gillman-Smith, Gilbert and Acton criticised the DSM-IV’s psychiatric conceptualisation of BPD, proposing a set of alternative descriptions based on Kelly’s (1955) Personal Construct Psychology (PCP) and diagnostic constructs. According to Winter et al. (2003), PCP offers not only a less “pre-emptive” stance towards BPD but is more clinically useful given its intrinsic implications for treatment. This correlational research study aimed to determine whether BPD symptomatology is associated with these proposed characteristics of construing. In addition, it was hypothesised that those with a belief that BPD was a part of their identity and untreatable would display higher levels of hopelessness. Ten participants with an existing diagnosis of BPD completed the following measures: a) Personal Construct Inventory (PCI; Chambers & O’Day, 1984); b) Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Third Edition, (MCMI-III, Millon, 1994); and c) Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS; Beck & Steer, 1988). Participants were also asked to complete a repertory grid and a Likert Scale indicating the extent of their belief that: a) BPD is an intrinsic part of them; and b) BPD is a treatable condition. Two of the participants are presented as case examples. The most significant finding related to the hypothesis that greater BPD symptomatology would be associated with a higher degree of change in self-construction over time (‘slot-rattling’). Contrary to our prediction, similarity of construing of the elements ‘Me Now’ and ‘Me in the Past’ was correlated with greater BPD symptomatology. This may indicate a belief among participants that they are unable to change or may represent Kellian hostility. Construing one’s mother and father similarly to one’s therapist was associated with greater BPD symptomatology, as was construing one’s father and partner similarly, suggesting, as hypothesised, that those diagnosed with BPD tend to construe current relationships in the same terms as early relationships. Pre-emptive construing and poorly elaborated self-construction were also found to be associated with increased BPD symptoms as predicted. Content analyses performed on elicited constructs revealed that emotion regulation is the most salient area for participants. While the majority of participants considered that BPD was a part of their identity, most were uncertain as to whether BPD is treatable although these findings were not significantly correlated with levels of hopelessness. Participants’ feedback about their experiences of being diagnosed with BPD raises important ethical questions. Further hypotheses are generated based on the study findings and suggestions are made for a revision of the way in which psychological distress is conceptualized, with a particular emphasis on the utility of the PCP approach towards BPD. Clinical implications, limitations of the study and possibilities for further research are discussed.