Reliability and Validity of the Life Problems Inventory, A Self-Report Measure of Borderline Personality Features, in a College Student Sample

Daniel Wagner Jill Rathus

doi:10.4172/2161-0487.1000199

Abstract

Rathus, Wagner, and Miller recently reported on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Life problems Inventory (LPI), a self report tool to measure Linehan’s conceptualition of borderline personality disorder (BPD) as a disorder primarily of the emotion regulation system, and in particular, problems with regulation of emotions, impulses, relationships, and self. Thus, the LPI maps onto the content of her skills training component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), with scales assessing problems addressed in DBT skills modules targeting emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. The present study furthers the investigation of the LPI’s psychometrics by examining internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity with depression, suicidality and mindfulness, and discriminant validity with social desirability in an adolescent/young adult, non-clinical, suburban college student sample (N = 99). The LPI was found to be internally consistent, stable over a two-week retest interval, and related in expected ways with clinical constructs. We discuss implications for further development and application of the LPI and its utility in a college population.

Highlights

Rathus, Wagner, and Miller recently reported on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Life problems Inventory (LPI), a self report tool to measure Linehan’s conceptualition of borderline personality disorder (BPD) as a disorder primarily of the emotion regulation system, and in particular, problems with regulation of emotions, impulses, relationships, and self
Despite the many replications and extensions of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) efficacy studies for patients with problems of regulation of emotions and behaviors, none of the many standardized measures of BPD directly and comprehensively assesses the four core problem areas of borderline personality conceptualized by Linehan [1,3] and targeted in DBT skills training
Using LPI data from the college sample (N = 99), Cronbach’s alphas were calculated to determine the internal consistency of the four LPI subscales and the LPI total score given at Time 1

Summary

Introduction

Wagner, and Miller recently reported on the development and psychometric evaluation of the Life problems Inventory (LPI), a self report tool to measure Linehan’s conceptualition of borderline personality disorder (BPD) as a disorder primarily of the emotion regulation system, and in particular, problems with regulation of emotions, impulses, relationships, and self. Its success in reducing suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behavior (NSSI), reducing hospitalizations, and retaining patients in therapy has made it a standard treatment modality for this population, and numerous randomized clinical trials support its effectiveness [4,5,6]. In addition to these stability and safety-related variables, DBT has resulted in increases in quality of life measures such as depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, social adjustment, and anger [7]. The LPI discriminated individuals with BPD features from demographically similar, non-BPD psychiatric and non-psychiatric medical patients

Results

Discussion

Conclusion