Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-83).

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Psychology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2006. / Title from PDF title page screen. Advisor: Thomas R. Kwapil; submitted to the Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-55).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1987. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-113).

Dysfunction in interpersonal relationships is central to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and provides the context in which self-harming behaviour, impulsivity and affective liability manifest (Lazarus et al., 2014). A growing evidence base exists for Mentalisation Based Treatment (MBT) in regard to symptom burden and extent of personality disturbance in BPD (Choi-Kain, Albert, & Gunderson, 2016). Less is known about patients’ experience of MBT, potential moderators or the utility of group only MBT. Method: First, a meta-analysis examining the relationship between attachment organisation and BPD diagnosis was conducted. Second, a mixed method design was employed to assess change in interpersonal problems and symptomatic distress following a group only MBT intervention. Potential moderators were examined and patient narratives were elicited and qualitatively analysed. Results: Across 20 studies including 1,948 participants, we found significant, medium to large effect sizes linking BPD to insecure attachment organisation. The largest effect sizes were found for a negative relationship between BPD diagnosis and attachment security, and a positive relationship between BPD and unresolved, anxious and avoidant attachment. The results of the empirical study revealed a significant reduction in interpersonal problems and psychological distress over the course of the intervention. Pre-treatment level of interpersonal problems did not function as a moderator. Patients found the group to be a challenging but rewarding experience. Conclusion: There is a strong relationship between BPD and insecure and disorganised attachment. Less intensive, group only MBT interventions may be effective in reducing levels of interpersonal problems and psychological distress in adults with a diagnosis of BPD.

Schizotypy as a research framework for schizophrenia emphasizes a link between the symptoms of the disorder and schizotypal traits in the non-clinical population, and argues for a symptom orientated approach to the field. One such symptom area concerns that of unusual experiences, such as hallucinations and delusions that occur in both schizophrenia and in the normal population, but differ in intensity and frequency. Hallucinations and delusions are affected by the environment in which they occur, such as a perceptually ambiguous environment. However, given that both hallucinations and delusions are misinterpretations of the current environment, the content of both could also be influenced by previous experiences, where properties of previous experiences interact with the current environment to produce such experiences. One factor that could influence hallucinations and delusions in this way is time. That is, it could be that those individuals more prone to hallucinations and delusions have stronger temporal links with the properties of previous experiences that facilitate hallucinatory and delusional experiences. The current thesis explores the relationship between the influence of environmental properties on hallucinatory reports and the possibility of differences in timing between individuals scoring high or low in schizotypy through tasks that incorporate temporal elements for optimum performance, such as time based schedules of reinforcement, or measure timing more directly, such as temporal bisection tasks. Findings from the thesis show that high schizotypy scorers make more hallucinatory-like reports than low scorers and that those reports are linked to properties of the environment in which they occur. In addition, there is some evidence that high scorers differ in timing across both schedule and temporal bisection tasks, but only under very specific circumstances.

Professionals in the mental health industry often attach a stigma to Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It is commonly thought of as a frustrating disorder to treat. As a result many professionals avoid dealing with BPD individuals. In an attempt to promote positive treatment outcomes, the aim of the study is to explore how the introduction of altruistic behaviours would affect the outcome of the overall treatment of individuals with BPD. Snowball sampling procedures were implemented. Data were collected through the use of semi-structured interviews with six mental health professionals and analysed through qualitative data processing and thematic analysis procedures. To the researcher’s knowledge, no research has been conducted specifically exploring the relationship between altruistic behaviour and BPD to date. The following superordinate themes emerged: treatment challenges, treatment context, treatment approach, diagnostic challenges, altruism/prosocial influences, and altruism/prosocial behaviour. It is the researcher’s hope that the findings of this study will increase awareness of this possible avenue in the treatment of BPD, so that the results of this study can then be taken to the next level of exploration in research and in clinical practice.

A review of the construct of psychopathy suggested that procedures for assessing the disorder should take into account its two-facet structure, its chronicity, its association with criminality, and its association with deceitfulness. A review of the five most popular assessment procedures currently in use indicated that none of them was completely satisfactory; the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) appeared to be superior to the other measures in most respects, but it was not well-suited for use outside of forensic settings. It was therefore decided to develop anew scale, based on the PCL-R, that would be suitable for both forensic and nonforensic settings. Pilot testing resulted in a 12-item symptom construct rating scale, named the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV). The PCL:SV was validated in 11 samples (N = 586) from forensic/nonpsychiatric, forensic/psychiatric, civil/psychiatric, and civil/nonpsychiatric settings. Results indicated that the PCL:SV had good internal consistency, interrater reliability, and temporal stability. The scale also appeared to have a two-factor structure, at least in samples with an appreciable base rate of psychopathy. The PCL:SV was highly correlated with other psychopathy-related measures, including the PCL-R, antisocial personality disorder symptom counts, and several self-report scales. It also had a pattern of convergent and discriminant validities that was consistent with both theory and previous research that used the PCL-R. It was concluded that the PCL:SV holds considerable promise as a measure of psychopathy; areas requiring further research were identified. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Boston University / Research suggests that "eating disorder not otherwise specified" (EDNOS) is particularly prevalent among individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, longitudinal data concerning course and predictors of outcome among different subtypes of EDNOS are scarce, particularly with comorbid BPD. The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal course of ED NOS subtypes and baseline predictors of outcome of ED NOS over 1 0 years of prospective follow-up in borderline patients. Two hundred and ninety patients who met Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition, Revised (DSM-111-R) criteria for BPD were followed prospectively over 10 years. Five subtypes of Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-111-R Axis I Disorders (SCID-1) diagnosed EDNOS were identified: subthreshold anorexia nervosa (AN) above the low-weight cut-off; subthreshold AN without loss of menses, subthreshold bulimia nervosa (BN); binge eating disorder (BED); and purging disorder. At baseline, 20% of the sample met criteria for an EDNOS subtype. In the first study, generalized estimating equations were first conducted to determine the prevalence of EDNOS subtypes over time. We used Kaplan-Meier survival analyses to examine time-to-remission, recurrence, and new onsets of the EDNOS subtypes. In the second study, baseline body mass index (BMI), socioeconomic status (SES), global assessment of functioning (GAF), social security disability income (SSOI), polypharmacy, and severity of childhood neglect, sexual abuse, and "other abuse" (e.g., physical, verbal, emotional) were examined as predictors of the course of EDNOS. Findings from the first study indicate that over time, rates of EDNOS were observed to decrease, and remissions were common. Among the EDNOS subtypes, BED was observed to have a particularly slow rate of remission and moderate rates of new onsets. Subthreshold AN without low weight had high rates of recurrence and new onsets. Findings of the second study indicate that borderline patients with EDNOS who were receiving SSDI at baseline were less likely to experience a remission of EDNOS and more likely to experience a recurrence. Additionally, severity of childhood adversity predicted new onsets of EDNOS. Findings suggest that receiving SSOI and severity of childhood adversity importantly impact the course of EDNOS in BPD.

by Sarah Miu Yin Ip. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-44). / Abstract also in Chinese. / Abstract --- p.ii / Acknowledgements --- p.iii / Table of Contents --- p.iv / List of Tables --- p.v / List of Appendix --- p.vi / Introduction --- p.1 / Method --- p.13 / Results --- p.20 / Discussion --- p.33 / References --- p.40 / Appendix --- p.45