The relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality symptomatology in a consecutive sample of cardiac stress test patients

Abstract

Objective. In this study, we examined relationships between five types of childhood trauma and two measures of borderline personality symptomatology in a non-psychiatric clinical population in order to assess a potential association between these variables in a non-psychiatric-treatment-seeking population. Method. Using a cross-sectional sample and a survey approach in 250 consecutive patients presenting for cardiac stress testing, we explored self-reported histories of five types of childhood trauma (i.e. witnessing violence, physical neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse), several aspects of past mental healthcare, and borderline personality symptomatology using two self-report measures (the borderline personality disorder scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory). Results. All relationships between the individual forms of trauma and total number of childhood traumas, and measures of borderline personality symptomatology, attained statistical significance. Using multiple regression analysis, sexual abuse in childhood was an independent predictor for borderline personality symptomatology in addition to past psychiatric/counseling care, with the latter finding suggesting some inter-drift of psychiatric patients into this cardiac stress test sample. Conclusions. In this non-psychiatric-treatment-seeking population, there appear to be relationships between various forms of trauma (especially sexual abuse) and borderline personality symptomatology, reinforcing the role of childhood trauma in borderline personality disorder.