Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale Research Articles

Gender differences in self-reported social functioning of patients with chronic coronary artery disease and affective disorders

Aim. To determine gender differences in self-reported social functioning of patients with comorbidity of affective disorders (ADs) and chronic coronary artery disease. Materials and methods . Self-reported social functioning of 248 cardiological patients (194 men (78.2%) and 54 women (21.8%)) with chronic coronary artery disease (CAD) and ADs was studied using the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). The mean age of patients with chronic CAD in men was (57.2 ± 6.5) years, and in women (59.3 ± 7.1), p = 0.04. Qualitative and quantitative indicators were investigated using the Mann – Whitney, Wilcoxon and T-test; χ2 (Pearson›s goodness-of-fit test) was used to estimate the frequencies. Results . ADs were represented by chronic mood disorders (45%), first-time depressive episodes (DEs) 24%, recurrent DEs 24.5%, as well as bipolar II disorder (BD II) 6.5%. ADs in 42.4% of patients were associated with psychosocial stressors (mainly, loss), p = 0.02. Men statistically significantly more often (37.1%, 72/194) than women (16.7%, 9/54) communicated more scarcely with others as a result of projection mechanisms, a high level of hostility, passive aggressiveness and lack of initiative, typical for patients with ADs, p = 0.003. Conclusion. The social functioning of patients with ADs and chronic coronary artery disease was complicated irrespective of gender. Women were single and bereaved of their children more often than men. Due to the low level of communication outside the family and outside of professional activity, most of the patients maintained communication mainly with the family. However, due to ADs, they were not able to feel support from family members and rarely initiated communication with other people (men did it statistically significantly more often than women).

Relationship of Internet Gaming Disorder with Psychopathology and Social Adaptation in Italian Young Adults.

Internet addiction is currently considered a worldwide problem, with a possible impact on mental health. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of internet gaming disorder (IGD) among Italian young adults and to explore its association with psychopathological symptoms. Our sample included 566 young adults (324 males/242 females; age: 22.74 ± 4.83 years). Participants were asked to state their favorite games and complete the following questionnaires: the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale Short Form (IGD9-SF); the APA symptom checklist, based on DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for IGD; the Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90 R); and the Social Adaptation Self Evaluation Scale (SASS). Use of video games was common among study participants (95% of the sample). Thirty subjects (5.3% of the sample) matched criteria for a clinical diagnosis of IGD. Data showed a positive correlation between higher use of online games and higher levels of depression (r = 0.501), anxiety (r = 0.361) and psychoticism (r = 0.431), and lower family and extra-family relationships (r = −0.383). At linear regression analysis, somatization (p = 0.002), depression (p = 0.001) and sleep disturbances (p = 0.003) were predictors of IGD diagnosis. IGD was significantly associated to mental health distress. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the problematic consequences of online gaming.

Syrian Asylum Seekers and The Question of Living in Turkey or Returning to Their Home Country: Mardin Case

Turkey, having faced mass migration since April 2011, has been the country hosting world’s largest population asylum seekers. Within Turkey, the question as to whether Syrians will return to their country has often been the subject of debate. The main objective of the study is to discuss and evaluate the issue of Syrians living in Turkey for short, medium, and long-term periods. This study, via a survey, empirically examines the situation of Syrians from multiple perspectives on their returning tendency. The results of face to face interviews with 284 Syrian asylum seekers in Mardin have been reviewed and according to the results, 56.3% of them are reluctant to leave Turkey. In addition, the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS), another assessment tool applied in the study, argued that there was no significant relationship between the social adaptations of the asylum seekers and their tendency to return to their home countries (p>0.05). The low, medium, or high levels of social cohesion of asylum seekers do not affect their views on returning. Furthermore, the results of this study indicate that 60.0% of individuals who have spent 5 years and more in Turkey do not plan to return to their home country.

Effectiveness of Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy Among Women with Major Depression in Turkey

ABSTRACT Depression is a common psychiatric disorder and the leading cause of disability worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of group interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT-G) on the levels of depression and social adaptation among married Turkish women with interpersonal relationship problems and to determine whether the intervention was compatible with Turkish culture. A pretest-posttest nonequivalent-control-groups design was used. Twenty-two female participants who received a diagnosis of major depression at an outpatient psychiatry clinic were assigned to receive either IPT-G and pharmacotherapy or treatment as usual (pharmacotherapy) for 12 weeks. Quantitative data were collected from bogggth groups using the Beck Depression Inventory and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale before and after the interventions. Findings indicate statistically significant improvements on both outcome measures. IPT-G intervention used in this study was effective in decreasing the depression levels and increasing the social adaptation of women with major depression in the eastern part of Turkey.

Relationship between childhood trauma and social adaptation in a sample of young people attending an early intervention service for psychosis

IntroductionChildhood trauma has been associated with an increased risk of psychosis, a greater severity of psychopathological symptoms, and a worse functional prognosis in patients with psychotic disorders. The current study aims to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and social adaptation in a sample of young people with first episode psychosis (FEP) or at-risk mental states (ARMS). Material and methodsThe sample included 114 young people (18–35 years old, 81 FEP and 33 ARMS) who were attending an Early Intervention Service for Psychosis. Positive, negative and depressive symptoms were assessed with the PANSS and the Calgary Depression Scale; history of childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; social adaptation was assessed with the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and SASS dimensions in the global sample (including FEP and ARMS). An exploratory SEM analysis was repeated in the subsample of FEP patients. ResultsARMS individuals reported more emotional neglect and worse social adaptation compared to FEP. SEM analysis showed that childhood trauma is associated with a worse social adaptation, in a direct way with domains involving interpersonal relationships, and mediated by depressive symptoms with those domains involving leisure, work and socio-cultural interests. ConclusionsChildhood trauma has a negative effect on social adaptation in young people with early psychosis. Depressive symptoms play a mediation role in this association, especially in domains of leisure and work.

Relationship between childhood trauma and social adaptation in a sample of young people attending an early intervention service for psychosis.

Childhood trauma has been associated with an increased risk of psychosis, a greater severity of psychopathological symptoms, and a worse functional prognosis in patients with psychotic disorders. The current study aims to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and social adaptation in a sample of young people with first episode psychosis (FEP) or at-risk mental states (ARMS). The sample included 114 young people (18-35 years old, 81 FEP and 33 ARMS) who were attending an Early Intervention Service for Psychosis. Positive, negative and depressive symptoms were assessed with the PANSS and the Calgary Depression Scale; history of childhood trauma was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire; social adaptation was assessed with the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to explore the relationship between childhood trauma, psychopathology and SASS dimensions in the global sample (including FEP and ARMS). An exploratory SEM analysis was repeated in the subsample of FEP patients. ARMS individuals reported more emotional neglect and worse social adaptation compared to FEP. SEM analysis showed that childhood trauma is associated with a worse social adaptation, in a direct way with domains involving interpersonal relationships, and mediated by depressive symptoms with those domains involving leisure, work and socio-cultural interests. Childhood trauma has a negative effect on social adaptation in young people with early psychosis. Depressive symptoms play a mediation role in this association, especially in domains of leisure and work.

Social adaptation status of Syrian refugee physicians living in Turkey.

Since the beginning of the civil war in Syria, over 3.5 million Syrians have fled to Turkey. Considering the massive burden of healthcare service needs of this population, the Turkish government has launched an initiative as employing Syrian doctors to provide health services to their citizens in Refugee Health Centres. In this study, we aimed to explore the social adaptation status of Syrian physicians living in Turkey using a structured questionnaire and the Social Adaptation Self Evaluation Scale (SASS). Between November 2016 and April 2018, 799 physicians who participated in "Syrian Physicians' Adaptation Training" were enrolled in the study and underwent a structured questionnaire that questioned socio-demographic data and the SASS. The participants were divided into two groups as having poor and normal/high SASS scores. The binary SASS groups were compared with some demographic data. The median SASS score of the respondents was found as 43 (min. 10, max. 60, IQR 10) which can be accepted as normal. In the binary grouping, it was seen that 107 (13.39%) participants had poor social adaptation, whereas 692 (86.61%) participants had normal or high social adaptation scores. The physicians who were certain about not going back to Syria had significantly higher SASS scores. The social adaptation scores of the Syrian physicians were considerably high. The adaptation status was found to be associated with some characteristics like living in Turkey for a long time and having pre-knowledge about the Turkish healthcare system.

Affective disorders in comorbidity with alcohol addiction: clinical and dynamic features, social adaptation level of patients

The aim of the study was to reveal clinical and dynamic characteristics of affective disorders (AD) in comorbidity with alcohol addiction (AA). Materials and methods. 65 patients with affective disorders [22 women (34%) and 43 men (66%)] were examined. The main group included 34 patients aged 44.5 [36.0; 51.5] with affective disorders and comorbid alcohol addiction The comparison group included 31 patients aged 45 years [32; 52] with affective disorders without comorbid narcological pathology. Compared groups were matched by sex, age and nosological structure (p > 0.05). The following methods were used in the study: clinical and psychopathological, clinical follow-up, psychometric, statistical, as well as these psychometric scales: Clinical Global Impression (CGI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). Results. The comparative assessment of clinical and dynamic characteristics of affective disorders and social adaptation level was conducted. Chronology of occurrence of comorbid affective disorders and alcohol addiction was analyzed. Conclusion. Addition of alcohol addiction to affective disorders worsens the clinical and dynamic indices and social adaptation level of patients.

Clinical-Dynamic Features of Affective Disorders Comorbid with Alcohol Dependence

Comorbidity of affective disorders (AD) and alcohol dependence (AlD) worsens prognosis and efficiency of therapy, exacerbates non-compliance in patients, and lowers their level of social adjustment. To study the influence of AlD on clinical-dynamic characteristics of AD, two groups of patients were examined and compared. The study group included 32 patients with AD and comorbid AlD. The comparison group included 31 AD patients without comorbid addictive pathology. The patients of compared groups did not have statistical differences (p > 0.05) according to sex, age, and AD. The Clinical Global Impression scale (CGI), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), and Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS) were used. Compared to the group without comorbidity, the group of patients with comorbid AD and AlD had more frequent suicide attempts in their medical history, a high level of anxiety according to HARS, severe disorders according to CGI-S, and difficult and impaired social adaptation according to SASS; patients with recurrent depressive disorder (RDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) also experienced a larger number of affective episodes per year. AlD comorbid with AD affects clinical-dynamic indicators and levels of social adjustment in patients.

The relationship between cognitive distortion, depressive symptoms, and social adaptation: A survey in Japan

BackgroundIn the treatment of depression, improvements in both clinical symptoms and social adaptation are important. Previous studies have shown that cognitive distortion and depressive symptoms are mutually related, and that depressive symptoms and social adaptation are related to each other. However, it is unknown how these three factors interrelate. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between cognitive distortion, depressive symptoms, and social adaptation. MethodsThe final analyzed sample consisted of 430 employees of a manufacturing company in Japan (74.2% male, 24.7% female, 1.2% unknown). Participants completed the Worker's Cognitive Distortion Scale (WCDS), Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). The WCDS was further divided into two subscales: self-contained cognitive distortion (WCDS-S) and environment-dependent cognitive distortion (WCDS-E). We used a covariance structure analysis for the main analysis and examined the relationship between these three variables’ scores. ResultsThe results revealed that both the WCDS-S and WCDS-E affected social adaptation indirectly via depressive symptoms, and that the WCDS-S additionally affected social adaptation directly. It was further revealed that the WCDS-S exerted a greater effect on depressive symptoms than the WCDS-E. LimitationsThe participants were healthy cases. As such, one must be cautious about applying the results of healthy cases to clinical cases. ConclusionsThis study indicates that cognitive distortion affects social adaptation directly and that it is indirectly mediated by depressive symptoms. Thus, professionals are required to attempt to treat depressive symptoms and improve social adaptation by considering that interventions in cognitive distortion may be effective.

Risk factors for further sick leave among Japanese workers returning to work after an episode of major depressive disorder: a prospective follow-up study over 1 year

ObjectivesWe aimed to investigate the risk factors for further sick leave episodes among Japanese workers returning to work after time off with a major depressive disorder.DesignA prospective study with 1...

Psychopathology among individuals seeking minimally invasive cosmetic procedures.

In recent years, so many people want to alter their physical appearance with the purpose of raising their social and psychological well-being and the demand for minimally invasive cosmetic procedures (MICPs) has continued to rise. Our study aims to investigate the psychological profile of people seeking cosmetic procedures. The present observational cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 54 participants seeking cosmetic procedures (botulinum toxin injections, soft tissue filler injection, mesotherapy, platelet-rich plasma, and dermaroller treatments). Those patients were compared to the control group, who did not have any kind of cosmetic procedure (including cosmetic surgery) before and who did not want to have any of these procedures. The research volunteers were invited to complete the demographic questionnaire (e.g., age, gender and history of procedures) as well as psychological scales. Psychological scales includes the validated and reliable The Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Automatic Thoughts Scale (ATS), and Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). Users of MICP were mostly female (n=46, 85%) and had some high school education or higher and showed higher scores on General Severity Index (P=.013), anxiety (P=.018), depression (P=.004), interpersonal sensitivity (P=.008) of BSI and also higher on ATS (P=.022) and lower on SASS (P=.001) scores that mean less social adaptation. There was a statistically positive correlation between age and GSI, anxiety, depression, interpersonal sensitivity, somatization scores of BSI, and negative correlations between SASS scores and age and number of past procedures. Our study findings highlight the importance of understanding individuals' psychological symptoms who are seeking cosmetic procedures.

Nova década, novos alunos na faculdade de medicina?

Objetivo: Comparar o perfil socioeducacional dos alunos de medicina da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP) em um intervalo de 10 anos, com metodologias de ensino distintas: em 2005, no ensino tradicional e, em 2015, no método Problem Based Learning (PBL). Método: Trata-se de estudos descritivos, com uso de questionários do teste Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale. Resultados: Análise de 2005 foi realizada com 143 alunos e de 2015, com 127 alunos. Com base na análise comparativa dos dados, verificou-se a dedicação ao estudo, em 2005: pouca 7,7%, moderada 69,2%, muita 23% e em 2015: pouca 2,3, moderada 55,1, muita 42,5%; a dificuldade expressiva, em 2005: sempre 2,8%, frequentemente 67,4%, ocasionalmente 28,5%, nunca 1,4% e em 2015: 2,4, 17,3, 61,4, 18,9%, na mesma ordem, — todos p<0,05 — ; e a qualidade do lazer, em 2005: insatisfatório 3,5%, aceitáveis 27,1%, boa 54,2%, ótima 15,3% e em 2015: 7,1, 26, 51,2, 15,7%, respectivamente, p=0,60. Conclusão: Concluiu-se que o perfil mudou em relação aos estudos e relacionamentos. Assim, PBL é uma alternativa de ensino que propõe motivar os alunos nos estudos e no desenvolvimento social.

A return to work program improves parasympathetic activity and psychiatric symptoms in workers on sick leave due to depression

BackgroundPeople with depression have autonomic function disturbances. In Japan, workers who take leave due to depression often undergo a work-focused intervention program called the return to work (RTW) program at a mental health hospital during their leave of absence. However, its biological efficacy remains unclear. We investigated the biological efficacy of the RTW program, including changes in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, in workers on sick leave due to depression in Japan. MethodsThe study involved 104 workers on sick leave due to major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder who underwent the RTW program for 3 months in Yokohama City University Hospital. The ANS activity of all patients was evaluated using heart rate variability at the beginning and end of the 3-month RTW program. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated using the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale-Japanese (MADRS-J) and Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). We followed up 3 months after the end of the program and investigated the association between the success in returning to work within 3 months after the end of the RTW program and several factors, including ANS activity, depressive symptoms, and demographic factors. ResultsParasympathetic activity was significantly higher and depressive symptom severity was significantly lower at program end than at baseline. Logistic regression analysis showed that the change in depressive symptoms was significantly associated with success in returning to work. ConclusionWe suggest that the RTW program improves parasympathetic activity as well as psychiatric symptoms. ANS activity was not a predictor of a successful return to work within 3 months after the end of the program in workers on sick leave due to depression, but further studies with a larger sample size are needed.

Perceived stress mediates the relationship between social adaptation and quality of life in individuals at ultra high risk of psychosis.

Quality of life (QoL) and social functioning have emerged as good predictors of the outcome of psychotic disorders. Poor QoL and social functioning are usually present before the onset of the first episode of psychosis. Our study aimed to explore the relationship between social adaptation and QoL in young people at risk of psychosis (ultra-high-risk, UHR) and healthy controls (HCs), and to investigate potential mediating effects of stress measures (perceived stress, stressful life events). The study included 55 UHR subjects and 40 HC. Social functioning was assessed with the Social Adaptation Self-evaluation Scale (SASS). Stress measures included the assessment of stressful life events and perceived stress. We compared stress and QoL measures between UHR and HC, and also compared UHR with low or normal social adaptation. A mediation analysis was performed to explore whether stress measures mediated the relationship between social adaptation and QoL. UHR were less frequently employed and reported more stress, poorer QoL and lower social adaptation than HC. QoL and social adaptation were associated with stress measures. UHR with low social adaptation reported more perceived stress and less QoL than UHR with normal social adaptation and HC. Perceived stress mediated the relationship between social adaptation and QoL. Social adaptation is less developed in UHR subjects than in healthy subjects and has a negative impact on quality of life. This association is mediated by perceived stress.

Adjunctive brexpiprazole for elderly patients with major depressive disorder: An open-label, long-term safety and tolerability study.

ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to evaluate the long‐term safety and tolerability of flexible‐dose brexpiprazole adjunct to antidepressant treatment (ADT) in elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).MethodsElderly patients (≥65 years) with MDD and inadequate response to ≥1 ADT during the current episode were recruited to a 26‐week, interventional, open‐label study (NCT02400346) at outpatient centers in the USA and Europe. All patients received brexpiprazole 1 to 3 mg/day adjunct to their current ADT. Safety outcomes included adverse events (AEs), movement disorder scales, and standard safety assessments (vital signs, laboratory safety parameters, physical examination, electrocardiograms). Exploratory efficacy outcomes included the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), Clinical Global Impressions‐Severity of Illness (CGI‐S), and Social Adaptation Self‐Evaluation Scale (SASS).ResultsOf the 132 treated patients, 88 (66.7%) completed the study and 44 (33.3%) withdrew, including 24 who withdrew because of AEs (18.2%). Overall, 102 patients (77.3%) experienced ≥1 treatment‐emergent AE (TEAE), which were mostly mild or moderate in severity. Treatment‐emergent AEs with the highest incidence were fatigue (15.2%) and restlessness (12.9%). The most common TEAE leading to withdrawal was fatigue (3.0%). No consistent clinically relevant findings were seen with regard to movement disorder scales or standard safety assessments. Mean (standard error) efficacy score changes from baseline to week 26 were: MADRS total, −14.5 (0.9); CGI‐S, −1.8 (0.1); and SASS, 3.2 (0.5).ConclusionsLong‐term (26‐week) treatment with adjunctive brexpiprazole was generally well tolerated in elderly patients with MDD and inadequate response to prior ADT. Improvements were observed in depressive symptoms and social functioning.

Driving performance of stable outpatients with depression undergoing real‐world treatment

Although the effects of psychotropics on driving ability have received much attention, little research is available on driving performance of stable outpatients with depression undergoing real-world treatment. This observational study investigated driving performance, cognitive functions, and depressive symptomatology of partly remitted outpatients with depression under daily-practice psychopharmacologic treatment. Seventy stable outpatients with depression and 67 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Patients' prescriptions were not controlled in order to capture the real-world treatment environment. Participants underwent three driving tasks - road-tracking, car-following, and harsh-braking - using a driving simulator, and three cognitive tasks - Continuous Performance Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Trail-Making Test. The Symptom Assessment Scale - Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale, and Stanford Sleepiness Scale were also completed. Although many patients received various pharmacologic treatments, there were no significant differences in the three driving tasks between outpatients with depression and healthy controls. Difficulty of maintaining set in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was significantly increased in patients with depression. Results on the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale were significantly associated with road-tracking and car-following performance, in contrast to results on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. We conclude that partly remitted depressive patients under steady-state pharmacologic treatment do not differ from healthy controls with respect to driving performance, which seems to be more affected by psychosocial functioning than by pharmacologic agents. This, however, should be investigated systematically in an off/on study.

The characteristics of family functioning with mentally ill children and adolescents

Background/Aim. The family functioning and characteristics are the major risk factors in the genesis and persistence of mental disorders in children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of functioning of family with mentally ill children and adolescents. Methods. This study explored 47 families with a child/adolescent suffering from mental disorders and 47 families of age matched healthy children/adolescents. The socio-demographic questionnaire, Social Adaptation Self-evaluation scale (SASS) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale (FACES III) (Olson, 1983) were completed by parents. Results. For all three FACES III dimensions multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed significant differences between groups ( Wilks ? = .887; F = 3.839; df = 3; p = 0.012). Univariate analysis results showed significant differences for cohesiveness F = 6.99 p = 0.001 and adaptability F = 10.07 p = 0 .001. The analysis of the social adaption (SASS) assessment showed that the mean score for clinical vs. non-clinical group was 39.66 ? 6.82 vs. 38.06 ? 8.44 without significant difference between groups (p = 0.32). The families of mentally ill children showed frequently lower socioeconomic status and education level, higher number of children per family, and broken home. Conclusion. The results suggested that cohesiveness and adaptability were significantly more prominent among families with mentaly ill children, but adaptation was similar to families with healthy children. It would be useful to evaluate adaptability, cohesiveness and adaptation of primary families when planning prevention and rehabillitation of mentally ill children and adolescent.

Procognitive effects of fluvoxamine: preliminary data

To identify and investigate procognitive effects of fluvoxamine. A prospective non-comparative trial of fluvoxamine was carried out in 50 patients in the remission phase of recurrent depressive disorder. To assess the efficacy of therapy, the Stroop color and word test, the Revised version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination, the Frontal Assessment Battery, the Hamilton Depression Scale and the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale were used. Fluvoxamine was administered at doses of 50-150 mg/day for 24-weeks. There were the improvement of executive functions, including selective attention and inhibitory control, and recovery of verbal fluency. The procognitive effect of fluvoxamine was dose-dependent and was related to the reduction of residual depressive symptoms. Fluvoxamine has procognitive effects, stabilizes remission and improves social adaptation of the patients.

Reduced white matter integrity in borderline personality disorder: A diffusion tensor imaging study

BackgroundBorderline personality disorder (BPD) has a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions. BPD may be linked to an abnormal brain anatomy, but little is known about possible impairments of the white matter microstructure in BPD or their relationship with impulsivity or risky behaviors. The aims of the present study were to explore the relationship between BPD and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters and psychological tests. MethodsWe evaluated 35 un-medicated BPD patients in a medication-free state and 50 healthy controls (HCs). We performed DTI tractography in BPD patients and HCs. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Profile of Mood State (POMS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS), and Depression and Anxiety Cognition Scale (DACS) were administered to BPD patients and HCs. ResultsA tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) revealed that the BPD group had three clusters with a significantly lower axial diffusivity (AD) than the HC group: one located mainly in the cingulum and the other mainly in the inferior front-occipital fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. Regarding the AD values, one cluster correlated negatively and significantly with POMS (Depression) and it was located in the cingulum, while another cluster correlated positively and significantly with DACS (Future Denial) and it was located in the inferior front-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). LimitationsThe small sample size of this study prevents us from forming any definitive conclusions, meaning that more studies are needed to confirm our findings. We are unable to generalize our findings to include other ethnic groups. ConclusionsOur results suggested that hypo-metabolism in a front-limbic network dysfunction is characterized by the cingulum and a front-occipital network dysfunction characterized by the occipital lobe, while an occipital-temporal network dysfunction characterized by the inferior longitudinal fasciculus.