Comorbidity between Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and substance use disorders (SUDs) is very common and is associated with a host of harmful consequences to the individual. However, it is not definitively known what accounts for this comorbidity. We examined the possibility that certain BPD symptom clusters were differentially related to risk for comorbid SUD diagnoses and symptoms. Studying the factor analytic research on BPD, a 3-factor solution has emerged with the symptoms of chronic feelings of emptiness, unstable interpersonal relationships, and identity disturbance often presenting on the primary factor (i.e., accounting for the most variance). Using a non-clinical sample (N = 121), the relationship between three symptom dimensions (defined according to prior factor analytic work) and presentation of comorbid SUD diagnoses and symptoms was examined. The results from the hierarchical regression analyses indicated that not only were the different symptom clusters of BPD differentially associated with SUD diagnoses, but also that certain symptom clusters accounted for this comorbidity just as well as the full symptom count of BPD. Strengths and limitations of the study are discussed as well as possible avenues for future research. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Degree Awarded: Spring Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: January 22, 2009. / Borderline Personality Disorder, Substance Use Disorders, Comorbidity, Symptomotology / Includes bibliographical references. / Jeanette Taylor, Professor Directing Thesis; Joyce Carbonell, Committee Member; Christopher Schatschneider, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_168818 |
| Contributors | Pizzarello, Scott (authoraut), Taylor, Jeanette (professor directing thesis), Carbonell, Joyce (committee member), Schatschneider, Christopher (committee member), Department of Psychology (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text |
| Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
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