A Person × Environment approach to Borderline Personality Disorder features in young people: The role of life events, parental support, and self-esteem

Introduction: This study aimed at examining the concurrent associations between stressful life events and borderline personality disorder (BPD) features in a clinical sample of young people. The moderating role of parental support and self-esteem was investigated (i.e., stress buffering). In a subsample, short term changes in BPD features were examined at a 6-month follow-up. 

Method: The total sample consisted of 318 young people (ages 12–26). Regression analyses were conducted to examine the link between stressful events, parental support, self-esteem, and BPD features. Prospective regression analyses were conducted in a subsample (N = 138). 

Results: Results indicate that stressful life-events and (low) self-esteem were related to more BPD features at wave 1. However, these associations did not hold in the prospective analyses. Also, no support was found for a stress-buffering effect.

Discussion: The discrepancy between the concurrent and the prospective findings suggest that stressful events and self-esteem may be intertwined with BPD features, rather than predictive of change in BPD features 6 months later.