On the relationship between retrospective childhood ADHD symptoms and adult BPD features: The mediating role of action-oriented personality traits

Abstract

A number of studies have reported data suggestive of a significant association between ADHD and BPD, nevertheless, the nature of this relation has not been fully understood yet. In our study, we tried to evaluate if the relationship between retrospectively assessed ADHD symptoms and adult BPD features could mediated by selected temperament/personality traits. Four hundred forty-seven in- and outpatients consecutively admitted to the Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Unit of the Scientific Institute H San Raffaele of Milan, Italy, were administered the Italian versions of the following instruments: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders, Version 2.0 (SCID-II), Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS), Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised (TCI-R), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and Aggression Questionnaire (AQ). Our mediation analyses showed that the combination of impulsivity, aggression, novelty seeking, and juvenile conduct problems completely mediate the relationship between retrospectively assessed ADHD symptoms and current BPD features.