Abstract
Background:Adolescents with features of borderline personality disorder (BPD) may experience deficits in interpersonal trust; however, a simultaneous comparison of interpersonal trust among adolescents with BPD, other psychiatric disorders, and no psychiatric conditions (healthy controls) has never been conducted.Objective:The aims of this study were to 1) explore differences in interpersonal trust (emotional trust, honesty beliefs, and reliability beliefs) between these three groups, and 2) examine the incremental value of BPD features in association with interpersonal trust over and above internalizing and externalizing.Method:Adolescents (N = 445, 67.9% female, Mage = 15.13) recruited from two psychiatric hospitals (psychiatric sample, n = 280) and community organizations (healthy sample, n = 165) completed measures of BPD features, interpersonal trust, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Psychiatric adolescents also completed an interview assessing BPD (n = 83 BPD). ANCOVA and hierarchical linear regression were used for analyses.Results:Emotional trust differed significantly across all three groups, with the lowest level of emotional trust in adolescents with BPD. Reliability was also lower in the two psychiatric groups relative to healthy controls. BPD features were significantly, inversely associated with emotional trust and reliability beliefs when controlling for internalizing and externalizing pathology. Post-hoc analyses testing specificity of the three forms of trust found that lower emotional trust predicted BPD diagnosis over and above the other two forms of trust.Conclusions:Findings highlight emotional trust as a correlate and important target of intervention for adolescents with BPD, and add to knowledge on interpersonal trust deficits for adolescents with psychiatric disorders more broadly.
Highlights
Theoretical frameworks such as Bowlby’s attachment theory [1] and Erikson’s psychosocial stages [2] convey the significance of interpersonal trust as an important aspect of adaptive psychosocial functioning across the lifespan, beginning during early development [3, 4]
Participants The sample included 445 adolescents ranging from 12-18 years old, 67.9% female, Mage = 15.13 (SD = 1.37), including adolescents recruited from two different psychiatric inpatient hospitals (n = 83 borderline personality disorder (BPD) and n = 197 psychiatric control group), and a group of healthy control adolescents (n = 165) recruited from the community
Results revealed a significant difference across groups for all three measures, F(2,424) = 84.83 (BPFS), F(2,428) = 56.79 (YSR Internalizing), F(2, 428) = 89.625 (YSR Externalizing), p
Summary
Theoretical frameworks such as Bowlby’s attachment theory [1] and Erikson’s psychosocial stages [2] convey the significance of interpersonal trust as an important aspect of adaptive psychosocial functioning across the lifespan, beginning during early development [3, 4]. Objective: The aims of this study were to 1) explore differences in interpersonal trust (emotional trust, honesty beliefs, and reliability beliefs) between these three groups, and 2) examine the incremental value of BPD features in association with interpersonal trust over and above internalizing and externalizing. Method: Adolescents (N = 445, 67.9% female, Mage = 15.13) recruited from two psychiatric hospitals (psychiatric sample, n = 280) and community organizations (healthy sample, n = 165) completed measures of BPD features, interpersonal trust, and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. BPD features were significantly, inversely associated with emotional trust and reliability beliefs when controlling for internalizing and externalizing pathology. Conclusions: Findings highlight emotional trust as a correlate and important target of intervention for adolescents with BPD, and add to knowledge on interpersonal trust deficits for adolescents with psychiatric disorders more broadly
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More From: Scandinavian Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology
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