Anger rumination, or persistently dwelling on feelings of anger, is associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and related features, such as aggressive behavior and cognitive distortions. To develop more effective treatments, it is crucial to understand why individuals with BPD engage in anger rumination despite its negative outcomes. The activation of energy associated with anger, as well as feelings of justification and validation, may be experienced in the short-term as rewarding. This may prevent individuals with BPD from attempting to reduce their rumination. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and behavioral methods were utilized to examine this theory in a sample of women diagnosed with BPD (n=13) and healthy controls (n=15). In an initial session, all participants were an administered a diagnostic interview for BPD, as well a series of self-report measures. In a second session, all participants completed an essay-writing task prior to the fMRI scan. All participants were provided with identical, highly critical feedback about their essays from a supposed essay evaluator. In response to this interpersonal provocation, participants with BPD demonstrated higher activation in brain regions associated with self-conscious reactivity to errors (insula, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex). Subsequent directed provocation-focused thought, compared to neutral-focused thought, produced greater activation in regions previously associated with anger rumination (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, lateral orbitofrontal cortex) across groups. As hypothesized, anger rumination, relative to neutral-focused thought, produced greater activation in brain regions associated with reward and pleasure (nucleus accumbens) for the BPD group only. No significant differences were observed for self-focused thought. Following the directed rumination task, participants completed a competitive reaction time task that provides an opportunity for participants to act aggressively, supposedly against their essay evaluator. The BPD group demonstrated significantly higher levels of aggressive behavior; however, no significant group differences emerged in neural functioning during the task. These findings suggest that anger rumination may be positively reinforcing for individuals with BPD, which has implications for treatment approaches.

Very little research has examined the role of personality in important life outcomes and support needs of adults with intellectual disabilities. This exploratory study includes a sample of 102 community-dwelling adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and begins to evaluate the relative contributions of general personality and personality disorder as it they concern their adaptive functioning, Axis I psychopathology symptoms, and residential and vocational supports. Observer ratings of personality disorder and Five Factor Model and Reiss Profile general personality functioning were obtained from direct service providers who knew the participants well, and archival file data (e.g., IQ, adaptive functioning scores, medications prescribed, and diagnoses) were collected after informed consent and assent were obtained from the participants. The results suggest that both personality and personality disorder, relate the intensity of supports required, the number of psychiatric medications prescribed, maladaptive behavior, and the amount of Axis I psychopathology exhibited by the participants. Results of the study are discussed with reference to implications for service delivery and planning and future research.

The current study provides convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity data for a measure of schizotypia from the perspective of the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of general personality structure. Nine schizotypia facet scales were constructed as maladaptive variants of respective facets of the FFM (e.g., Aberrant Ideas as a maladaptive variant of FFM Openness to Ideas). On the basis of data from 143 undergraduates the convergent validity of these nine facet scales was tested with respect to 11 established measures of schizotypia and the respective facets of the FFM. Discriminant validity was tested with respect to other personality disorders and facets from other FFM domains. Incremental validity was tested with respect to the ability of the FFM schizotypia facet scales to account for variance in two established measures of schizotypia, after variance accounted for by respective FFM facets and other established measures of schizotypia were first removed. The findings support the validity of these new facet scales as measures of schizotypia and as maladaptive variants of the FFM.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by patterns of intense negative affect, interpersonal difficulties, and maladaptive impulsive behaviors, and is associated with impairments in social and occupational functioning. Rumination is a maladaptive form of repetitive thought that maintains and intensifies emotional disturbance and is associated with behavioral dysregulation. This study tested several hypotheses about relationships between rumination and borderline personality features. This study included 117 college student participants, 88 female students and 29 male students, most of whom (84%) identified themselves as Caucasian. Participants completed a series of measures which included a writing sample to sample repetitive thought. Findings consistently suggested that rumination accounts for significant incremental variance in BPD features after controlling for various facets of neuroticism, which suggests that individuals with BPD features are probably engaging in high levels of multiple types of rumination. However, scores derived from the On Your Mind writing sample did not predict severity of borderline features after controlling for the NEO-neuroticism domain. Implications for these findings and limitations to this study are also discussed.

Cognitive bias and thought suppression are two maladaptive patterns of thinking that have been associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Negative cognitive biases related to BPD include thoughts that they are bad, powerless, or vulnerable and that the world is dangerous. Thought suppression is a maladaptive emotion regulation strategy where unwanted thoughts are intentionally pushed out of one’s consciousness. However, previous research has connected thought suppression and cognitive biases to BPD only via self-report measures. The present study examined whether a laboratory task meant to measure cognitive bias and thought suppression (Scrambled Sentences Test) would predict BPD features over and above self report measures of cognitive bias and thought suppression. A sample of 153 undergraduates completed self-report measures of BPD features, thought suppression, and negative cognitive biases, as well as the Scrambled Sentences Test (SST). Results showed that while the SST was a good predictor of cognitive biases, it did not predict thought suppression when self report measures were included. Recognizing the importance of negative cognitive bias in BPD may be useful in continued treatment development. Further research into other ways of measuring thought suppression and cognitive biases in the lab may be warranted.

Two prominent emotions in borderline personality disorder (BPD) are anger and shame. Rumination has been demonstrated to occur in response to shame and to escalate anger, and rumination, particularly anger rumination, has been shown to predict BPD symptoms. The present study examined whether one way that shame leads to the features of BPD is via increased anger and anger rumination. A sample of 823 undergraduates completed self-report measures of global and situational shame, trait- level anger, anger'rumination, and BPD features. A structural equation model was constructed using these measures. The hypothesized model of shame to anger and anger rumination to BPD features was largely supported. Bootstrapping was used to establish significant indirect effects from both forms of shame via anger rumination to BPD features, and from global shame via anger to BPD features. Recognizing this function of anger rumination may be important in developing and practicing interventions to reduce it. Further research into other ways individuals maladaptively respond to shame and functions of anger rumination is recommended.

The Five Factor Obsessive Compulsive Inventory (FFOCI) was developed in part to facilitate a shift from the categorical classification of personality disorder to a dimensional model; more specifically, the five-factor model. Questions though have been raised as to whether obsessive-compulsive personality disorder can be understood as a maladaptive variant of FFM conscientiousness. The purpose of the present study was to provide a further validation of the FFOCI, as well as to compare and contrast alternative measures and models of OCPD. A total of 380 participants, including 146 oversampled for OCPD traits, were recruited from introductory psychology courses at the University of Kentucky. Administered were the FFOCI, measures of general personality (e.g.,, International Item Pool, 5-Dimensional Personality Test), trait scales associated with OCPD (e.g.,, workaholism, compulsivity, propriety), and alternative measures of obsessive compulsive personality disorder. All measures were administered via SurveyMonkey, a secure online survey service. Results supported the validity of the FFOCI, but also demonstrated substantive differences among the alternative measures of OCPD, particularly with respect to their relationship with FFM conscientiousness, antagonism, and introversion.

Det övergripande syftet med studien var att undersöka hur personalen på en psykiatrisk mottagning upplevde den behandling som de ger för borderline personlighetsstörning, mentaliseringsbaserad terapi. Genom en kvalitativ metod och fokusgrupper söktes svar på frågeställningarna. Det empiriska materialet analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys och resultatet visade att behandlingen generellt upplevdes ha förbättrat patienternas livskvalitet. De flesta av patienterna gjorde helt andra livsval efter avslutad behandling och en del uppfyllde inte längre de diagnostiska kriterierna för borderline personlighetsstörning. De som hade fullföljt behandlingen eller nästan fullföljt den var de som hade dragit mest nytta av den. De faktorer som ansågs som viktiga för förändringsprocessen rörde individvariabler, strukturella faktorer, gruppterapi, medicinering med psykofarmaka och personalvariabler. De berörde med andra ord behandlingens form snarare än de specifika interventionerna för mentaliseringsbaserad terapi. De fynd som gjorts inom ramen för denna studie skulle därmed kunna betraktas som viktiga komponenter för psykoterapeutisk behandling av borderline personlighetsstörning oavsett tillhörighet av psykoterapeutisk skolbildning. Resultatet skulle kunna indikera att de specifika behandlingsinterventionerna inte har någon nämnvärd effekt samtidigt som det skulle kunna tyda på att en behandling som ges i samma form som MBT, men med andra interventioner, skulle kunna åstadkomma ett än bättre resultat. / The overall purpose of this study was to examine how the professionals on a psychiatric clinic experienced the treatment they are using for borderline personality disorder, mentalization-based treatment. Through a qualitative approach and focus groups, answers to the questions were sought. The empirical material was analyzed by using thematic analysis and the results showed that the treatment generally had improved the patients’ quality of life, as perceived by the professionals. Most of the patients did completely different choices in life after the treatment was finished and some of them did no longer fulfill the diagnostic criteria’s for borderline personality disorder. Those who almost or fully completed the treatment where the ones who have had the most use of it. Important factors for the process of change were individual variables, structural factors, group therapy, medication with psychopharmacological drugs and personnel variables. In other words factors related to the structure of the treatment rather than the specific interventions for mentalization-based treatment. The findings within the scope of this study could hence be considered as vital components for psychotherapeutic treatment of borderline personality disorder independent of psychotherapeutic doctrine. The result could indicate that the specific treatment interventions do not have any significant effect but at the same time it could indicate that a treatment given in the same form as mentalization-based treatment, but with other interventions, could give an even better result.

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Awareness due to increase crime has highlighted the occurrence of immense personal and social problems. Problems resulting from disorders such as Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) are less common but have a profound impact on all of us. Research has shown that 97% of people with severe abuse and life trauma before the age of nine, develop DID. The objective of this study was to investigate (from the perspectives of therapists) the experience of people diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) in the workplace. A qualitative research design was used to capture the essence of the individual's experience thereby enabling the researcher to develop an understanding from the participant's point of view. In this study seven therapists were interviewed and each completed a questionnaire. This was the basis used to demonstrate the typical behaviour of DID in the workplace. The results indicated that DIDs cope to a certain extent but tend to switch (switching) personalities when exposed to trauma, stress or events that triggers past life trauma. Defense mechanisms and switching can have a negative influence on the organisation and its employees, but most of all on the DID. If professional treatment is available, the condition can be fully cured. Most patients treated were female, averaged 29 years of age, were single, and had experienced some kind of abuse. Patients experienced problems directly related to DID, such as lack of concentration, attention deficiency and memory loss, depression, migraine and constant headaches. Their behaviour is inconsistent and unpredictable, and they experience relationship problems. Results show that DIDs can hold relatively senior positions but tend to change jobs on a regular basis. Although this condition can be differentiated from other Psychological conditions, most DIDs have previously been misdiagnosed. A Psychological-based paradigm is mostly used to diagnose the condition. Recommendations to the organisation (especially to the HR department) and recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.