This study investigates how different forms of social media engagement (image based, belief based, comparison based and consumption based) relate to identity disturbance among young adults exhibiting nonclinical, subclinical, and clinical levels of borderline personality features. The sample included 200 Pakistani university students between the ages of 18-24. As per the results of the study image based, belief based, and comparison based social media engagement was strongly associated with, and significantly predicted, higher identity disturbance, whereas consumption-based engagement did not. Additionally, the subclinical group showed greater identity disturbance and higher engagement in image and belief-based engagement as compared to both nonclinical and clinical groups. These findings suggest that individuals with elevated borderline personality features are more prone to identity disturbance when they actively present idealized versions of themselves, seek external validation, or engage in frequent self-expression online. Lastly, limitations include relying on self-report measures, a cross-sectional design that does not include causal inference, and a culturally specific sample size. Future longitudinal and cross-cultural studies which include random sampling is recommended to clarify developmental trajectories and enhance generalizability.

Background: the study of metacognitive abilities in adolescents is crucial for understanding early mechanisms in the developmental of psychotic disorders. Evidence suggests that impairments in metacognitive monitoring and control may strengthen the association between neurocognitive deficits and attenuated psychotic symptoms in adolescence. However, existing studies are few, and their findings need to be systematized to clarify the characteristics of metacognition in schizotypal disorder (SD) specifically during adolescence. The aim of study was to examine mental-state integration and monitoring in adolescents with SD. Patients and Methods: a pilot cross-sectional study using psychometric instruments was performed on adolescents with SD (F21 in ICD-10; n = 11), nonpsychotic internalizing disorders (F41, F42, F43.2 in ICD-10; n = 6), and externalizing disorders (F90, F91 in ICD-10; n = 5). Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, between-group comparisons, and post hoc pairwise comparisons. Results: compared with peers with nonpsychotic internalizing and externalizing disorders, adolescents with SD showed more pronounced identity disturbance and alexithymia. Conclusion: the complex impairments in mental-state integration and monitoring in adolescents with SD resemble basic self-disturbance (BSD), which is characteristic of schizophrenia. Further research is needed to investigate metacognitive abilities in adolescents with SD and their relationship with BSD, as this complex may represent a potential predictor of psychosis risk.

Parents exposed to childhood interpersonal trauma are at risk of reporting difficulties following the birth of a child. Although parenting alliance is crucial for both parental and infant well-being, it is often overlooked for trauma survivors in the postpartum period. More research is needed, focusing on both co-parents and using a dyadic and longitudinal approach to understand the underlying mechanisms. Self-capacities offer insights into trauma's effects at different life stages and might play a role in survivors' parenting alliance. Using a dyadic and longitudinal design, this study examined the possible mediating role of self-capacities in the association between cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma (CCIT) and parenting alliance. A randomly selected sample of 923 couples who recently had a child, completed questionnaires on CCIT, self-capacities disturbances (i.e., affect dysregulation, identity disturbance and interpersonal conflicts), and parenting alliance at two time-points (T1, T2). Path analyses revealed that, when controlling for parenting alliance at T1, CCIT was associated with lower parenting alliance at T2 for both mothers and fathers, through interpersonal conflicts and affect dysregulation at T1. Precisely, a higher disposition to interpersonal conflicts mediated the link between one parent's CCIT and their own parenting alliance, while higher affect dysregulation mediated the link between one parent's CCIT and their co-parent's parenting alliance. Findings suggest that CCIT survivors may struggle with parenting alliance through affect dysregulation and interpersonal conflicts during early postpartum, highlighting self-capacities as both prevention and intervention targets to foster parenting alliance.

This study presents an Adaptive PID controller designed to enhance temperature stability and energy performance in household refrigerator systems subject to non-stationary disturbances. Classical PID control is limited by fixed gains and the assumption of linear time-invariant dynamics, which is frequently violated by door opening, load variation, and compressor cycling. To address this issue, the proposed approach introduces a Laplace-distribution-based adaptive gain function L(t) that adjusts controller sensitivity according to the statistical rarity of the composite temperature error. The method preserves the conventional PID control structure while introducing a lightweight gain-scaling mechanism suitable for embedded implementation. Experimental validation using a commercial two-compartment refrigerator demonstrated substantial improvements in performance compared with a classical PID controller. The Adaptive PID achieved reduced temperature deviations in both compartments, significantly smoother compressor and fan actuation, and a 4.6% reduction in total energy consumption under an identical disturbance schedule. These results confirm that the proposed controller provides a practical, embedded-friendly solution that improves thermal regulation, actuator longevity, and energy efficiency under the tested disturbance schedule representative of typical household usage.

This review synthesizes emerging research on loneliness in psychosis, integrating neurocognitive, social, developmental, and phenomenological perspectives. We highlight how loneliness operates as both a precipitant and consequence of psychosis symptoms, discuss its manifestations across the psychosis spectrum, and outline conceptual and clinical priorities for advancing person-centered research and clinical care. Loneliness is highly prevalent in psychotic disorders and strongly associated with psychiatric symptom severity, instability of self-concept, and overall reduced wellbeing. Neurocognitive models demonstrate that chronic loneliness heightens social threat sensitivity and alters brain networks supporting social cognition and emotion regulation in individuals with psychosis. Longitudinal data show bidirectional relationships between loneliness and paranoia, psychotic-like experiences, and social-cognitive biases. Qualitative work emphasizes loneliness as a profound barrier to recovery across stages of illness. Understudied contributors, including attachment disruptions, social defeat, context, solitude, and disturbances in self and identity, shape subjective experiences of loneliness beyond objective isolation. Loneliness in psychosis is multidimensional, driven by interacting cognitive, interpersonal, developmental, and contextual processes. Future research should refine definitional distinctions of loneliness in psychosis phenomenology, incorporate dynamic and mixed-methods paradigms, and examine individual-specific and interpersonal mechanisms. Clinically, evidence supports treatments that prioritize meaning making, improving existing relationships, and addressing social biases, integrating cognitive, meta-cognitive, and narrative approaches.

The COVID-19 pandemic had widespread psychological effects, prompting research into long-term impacts on mental health and identity development. This retrospective study examined how pandemic-related stress affected obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) and generalized anxiety symptoms across three timepoints, prior to the pandemic (2019-February 2020), during the height of the pandemic (March 2020-2022), and the present (within the past month), and how changes in these symptoms relates to identity. The sample consisted of undergraduate students (N = 476) who completed an anonymous online survey battery. Indices of psychological "damage" and "recovery" showed although OCS levels returned to baseline in the current period, anxiety levels remained elevated. COVID-related stress predicted higher OCS and anxiety symptoms across timepoints. Greater symptom damage was associated with more identity disturbance, while recovery from anxiety was related to reduced identity disturbance. Recovery from OCS was uniquely related to higher identity consolidation. These findings suggest the psychological toll of the pandemic extends beyond clinical symptoms, impacting foundations of identity. Although some psychological recovery has occurred, lingering anxiety symptoms may continue to affect developmental outcomes. Further research is needed to understand mechanisms that support long-term recovery and identity formation in the wake of large-scale stressors like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alexithymia is a multifaceted construct encompassing difficulties identifying and describing feelings, limited imaginal capacity, and externally oriented thinking. Despite the high prevalence among borderline personality disorder (BPD) patients, less is known about symptom-level associations between alexithymia and BPD criteria. Prior studies highlight an elevated risk of self-injurious and suicidal behaviours associated with alexithymia. Understanding the symptom-level relationships with alexithymia may provide a more specific target for intervention. This study explored the associations between alexithymia and BPD symptom criteria in 478 psychiatric outpatients (n = 146 BPD, n = 196 other personality disorders, and n = 136 no personality disorder [PD]), assessed using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV), and Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. BPD symptoms were dichotomized as present if scored ≥ 1 (definitely present). Alexithymia was measured using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20). Depression severity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Logistic regression was used to examine relationships between alexithymia and BPD symptom criteria in each group. In the BPD group, identity disturbance (p = .0013) was significantly related to alexithymia using the Benjamini-Hochberg Procedure for multiple comparisons. The association remained when controlling for depression severity. Among those without any PD, alexithymia was significantly associated with chronic feelings of emptiness (p = .0024) before controlling for depression. In BPD, alexithymia was most strongly associated with identity disturbance. Previous studies have linked alexithymia and identity disturbance to suicidality. This study is the first to identify an association between alexithymia and identity disturbance in BPD, underscoring impairments in the self and self-mentalizing a potential target for suicide prevention in BPD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is marked by emotional instability, identity disturbances and interpersonal difficulties. While deficits in emotion regulation (ER) and parenting styles are associated with BPD, their combined impact on specific BPD features remains unclear. This study used network analysis to explore the complex associations between parenting styles, ER strategies and specific BPD features in a sample of 1289 undergraduate students. Participants completed the Personality Assessment Inventory-Borderline subscale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire. Gaussian graphical models combined with exploratory graph analysis identified central and bridge nodes within the network. Expressive suppression emerged as the most central node in the model, strongly linked to affective instability, negative relationships and self-harm. Cognitive reappraisal showed protective associations with reduced affective instability and identity problems. Authoritative parenting was associated with greater reappraisal and less suppression, whereas authoritarian and permissive parenting styles were linked to maladaptive ER patterns. Bridge nodes (affective instability and negative relationships) connected ER and interpersonal domains, indicating potential pathways for cross-domain distress transmission. This study advances dimensional models of personality pathology by integrating parenting variables into BPD features networks, revealing both intra- and cross-domain intervention targets.

ABSTRACT Although narrative psychology suggests that the narrative processing of meaningful personal events is significant for identity development, the number of experimental studies testing this idea is limited. Our two-experiment study with randomized controlled trials bridges this gap. In Study 1 (133 participants), we examined how the narrative processing of self-defining memories (SDMs) and self-defining future projections (SDFPs) influenced identity distress in emerging adults with no diagnosed mental health disorders. In Study 2 (160 participants), we included an experimental group struggling with mental health problems. The impact of our intervention was assessed both 1 week and 2 months after the intervention. Contrary to expectations, our analyses (linear mixed-effects models with maximum likelihood estimation) did not reveal any significant effect of narrative processing on identity distress. Thus, our findings question the effectiveness of experimentally evoked narrative processing for coping with identity disturbances. Regarding these results, we propose explanations for the lack of effectiveness of our intervention and directions for further research in the field.

Abstract Transference-Focused Psychotherapy is an evidence-based treatment for personality pathology developed within Kernberg’s object relations theory. To address severe identity disturbances, therapists identify pathological object relations dyads – self and other representations enacted in the therapeutic relationship – and facilitate their integration to promote a more coherent sense of self and others. Despite the central role of dyads in Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, no systematic assessment tool exists to evaluate their enactment in the therapeutic process. A reliable method for identifying specific self and other representations could support clinicians in maintaining adherence to Transference-Focused Psychotherapy and managing intense transference phenomena. We developed an observer rating grid inspired by the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme. This study presents the grid’s preliminary application to a psychotherapy session with a patient diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, comparing its outcome with the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme to highlight theoretical and methodological distinctions. Findings suggest that the dyads rating grid is a promising tool for Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, capturing complex relational dynamics that extend beyond the more explicit level of assessment of the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme, such as role reversal within a dyad or its pervasiveness. By promoting a detailed examination of psychotherapy processes, the grid may enhance case formulation and aid therapists in managing complex transference dynamics. Further application will refine and validate the tool, ultimately supporting research on Transference-Focused Psychotherapy effectiveness.

Aim of the study Aim of the study was to examine how a woman diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) manages moments when her self is threatened during an initial couple-therapy consultation, using an interactional, multimodal perspective. Subject or material and methods We examined a video-recorded initial session with a heterosexual couple, sampled from a larger corpus of couple-therapy consultations in a medical setting. Using multimodal conversation analysis, three analysts repeatedly viewed and sequentially analyzed the interaction to identify “self-threatening sequences”, where the patient’s moral, epistemic, or relational self was challenged and then either repaired or further pursued by the participants. Results The analysis shows that self-threat is jointly produced and managed by patient, partner and therapist. The patient alternates between starkly self-pathologizing and self-defending formulations, using laughter, hesitations and embodied conduct (gaze, posture, self-touch) to regulate exposure and arousal. The partner’s categorizations and complaints variably escalate, renegotiate or close self-threatening trajectories, while the therapist’s questions and formulations selectively take up or soften different self-descriptions. Discussion Identity disturbance in BPD patients emerge here as context-dependent and interactionally accomplished rather than a fixed intrapsychic deficit. Conclusions The study illustrates how detailed analysis of couple-therapy interaction can illuminate how threats to self are produced, resisted and absorbed in real time in interaction dynamics with BPD patient, and suggests that therapists should attend not only to what is said about the self but also to who says it, in response to what, and with which embodied displays.

Association between nonsuicidal self-injury and borderline personality features in early-adolescent students: a cross-sectional study

Dimensions of childhood trauma and identity disturbance in male adolescents: Examining affected experiences and mediating cognitive functions.

Adaptive recovery strategy and performance degradation modeling for landslide systems with enhanced resilience under periodic disturbances.

Eating disorders (EDs) frequently emerge during critical stages of childhood and adolescence, when identity development and emotional regulation are still maturing. Disturbances in self-concept clarity and identity integration may transform the body into a symbolic battlefield for autonomy, belonging, and self-worth. This review synthesizes developmental, psychosocial, neurocognitive, and therapeutic perspectives on the role of identity disturbance in EDs. A narrative review was conducted (2010-2025) using combinations of terms related to identity, self-concept clarity, self-discrepancy, objectification, interoception, and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder). Findings indicate that identity vulnerability (expressed as low self-concept clarity, heightened self-discrepancies, and self-objectification) mediates the association between early adversity, sociocultural pressures, and ED symptoms. Neurocognitive studies reveal altered self-referential processing, default mode network connectivity, and interoceptive signaling. Clinically, comorbid borderline personality features further exacerbate identity disturbance and complicate recovery. Evidence-based treatments such as enhanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT-E) effectively target core maintaining mechanisms, while adjunctive interventions (mentalization-based therapy, schema therapy, narrative approaches, and compassion- or acceptance-based methods) show promise in addressing identity-related processes and improving outcomes. Identity disturbance provides a unifying framework for understanding why ED symptoms become entrenched despite adverse consequences. Integrating identity-focused approaches with nutritional and medical care may enhance recovery and reduce chronicity in youth. Future research should adopt longitudinal and mechanistic designs to clarify pathways linking identity change to clinical improvement and test identity-specific augmentations to standard ED treatments.

Objectives. Identity disturbance and instability in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are associated with impairments in the integration of emotional autobiographical memory (EAM). At the neurophysiological level, it has been suggested that EAM dysfunction may be linked with functional connectivity (FC) alterations of the salience network (SN). Despite this, evidence in adolescents with BPD remains scarce, especially under task-related conditions. Therefore, we investigated SN electroencephalography (EEG) FC in adolescents with BPD during the resting-state condition (RS) and during two EAM tasks (i.e., happiness- and fear-related). Methods. A total of 24 female adolescents with BPD and 15 healthy controls underwent RS and task-related EEG recording. All participants were also assessed for BPD and related clinical dimensions. EEG FC analyses in the SN were performed using exact Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) software. Results. Compared to controls, BPD patients exhibited reduced theta SN connectivity during RS. This hypo-connectivity pattern was positively correlated with all BPD-related dimensions (i.e., emotional dysregulation, impulsiveness, dissociative symptoms, and childhood trauma). Furthermore, compared to the RS, during the listening of fear-related memories, BPD patients showed an increase in delta SN connectivity. This hyper-connectivity pattern was negatively correlated with the self-reported vividness of recall. Conclusions. While decreased SN theta connectivity may be a common neural marker of traumatic disintegration, increased SN delta connectivity may indicate a neural correlate of suppression/avoidance of negative memories.

In pigeon farming, manure cleaning is predominantly manual, a method that is both slow and costly, and exposes workers to harsh conditions. Addressing these challenges, this paper introduces a cleaning robot for pigeon farms utilizing magnetic strip navigation combined with RFID signal recognition and derives the magnetic-navigation control model. This method can improve operational stability and accuracy. Given the farm’s unstable environment, a control algorithm based on fuzzy PID with Kalman filtering was developed. This algorithm mitigates input disturbances and measurement noise by integrating Kalman filtering into the fuzzy PID feedback loop, thereby refining signal accuracy. Numerical simulations conducted in Matlab/Simulink demonstrate that the inclusion of Kalman filtering reduces the time of target signal tracking by nearly 1 s compared to fuzzy PID and by almost 2 s relative to standard PID under identical disturbances. Experimental tests confirm that this algorithm significantly improves the robot’s operational stability and reduces magnetic-navigation deviation, underscoring its advancement and practicality over traditional PID and fuzzy PID methods.

As recreational psychedelics increase, it is important to understand possible consequences, like identity disturbance, and how they may be mitigated with harm-reduction techniques. For example, people may spend time in nature or engage in journaling after recreational use to “self-integrate.” The present study aimed to investigate differences in measures of well-being and identity disturbance between recreational psychedelic users and nonusers and explore the role of self-integration to promote positive identity. An online survey was answered by 63 people who had taken a psychedelic drug in the last year and 218 who had not. The psychedelic user group was significantly higher in well-being ( t (279) = 2.21, p = .028) and lower in identity loss ( t (279) = −2.13, p = .034). Within the psychedelic user group, correlations revealed positive relationships between well-being and consolidated identity ( r = .70), and integration behaviors with both ( r = .37; r = .26, respectively). Surprisingly, integration behaviors had no significant relationship with a lack of identity. These findings indicate that while self-integration may help consolidate psychological growth for people who have had positive psychedelic experiences, it is not protective against severe identity disturbance. Accordingly, recreational psychedelic use is considered risky and is cautioned against, especially for those facing mental health issues.

This review examines the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) in light of recent claims that the former might be replaced by the latter. The stigma associated with BPD is not a convincing reason to suggest that CPTSD is more adequate than BPD, despite the fact that there is currently less stigma attached to it. BPD and CPTSD share some core symptoms, such as affective dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. However, several features, including impulsivity, identity disturbance, and fear of abandonment, are relatively specific for BPD and may distinguish it from CPTSD. While trauma is a major risk factor for both conditions, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of BPD because it can occur in the absence of trauma. In contrast, trauma is indispensable in the development of CPTSD. Research using latent class analysis and structural equation modeling has produced mixed results, with most studies identifying overlapping symptom clusters of BPD and CPTSD and suggesting that the boundaries between the two conditions are not clear. While there are many similarities between BPD and CPTSD, they can be distinguished clinically, although the boundaries between them are not clear-cut. Current evidence strongly suggests that BPD cannot be reduced to a trauma-related condition and that it would therefore be erroneous to replace it with CPTSD.

Investigations of the construct of emptiness often include vague, overlapping, and contradictory operationalizations that have impacted further theoretical and empirical understanding. This includes referring to emptiness as a static, trait-like phenomenon, without measurement of the individual instability that may exist in this experiential state. Furthermore, studies often restrict the examination of emptiness to those with borderline personality disorder, despite research supporting its relationship to other disorders and to personality functioning in general. The present study sought to explore emptiness at both its trait- and state-level determinants utilizing an experience sampling design in 120 community members. Specifically, this study investigated personality dysfunction in both interpersonal and self-domains, identity disturbance, and emotion dysregulation in predicting between-person mean and instability in emptiness, as well as within-person emptiness across a 14-day study period. Results supported strong relationships between within-person sadness and emptiness. Furthermore, mean-level emptiness was associated with both personality dysfunction and identity disturbance, while emptiness instability was additionally associated with emotion dysregulation. Implications for construct clarity are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).