Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
Published on: June 23, 2023
Adolescent alcohol use disorders predict adult borderline personality
Dawn L Thatcher1, Jack R Cornelius, Duncan B Clark
1Pittsburgh Adolescent Alcohol Research Center (PAARC), Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, USA. lindsaydl@upmc.edu
Background:
This study investigated adolescent alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and other characteristics as predictors of adult borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms.
Methods:
Adolescents with AUDs (n = 355) were recruited from clinical treatment sources and adolescents without AUDs (n = 169) were recruited from the community. During an adolescent assessment (age 16+/-1.3), childhood physical and/or sexual abuse history, AUDs and associated psychiatric disorders were measured via semi-structured interviews. Symptoms of BPD were measured in a young adult follow-up assessment (age 22+/-2.4). Latent class analysis was utilized to classify individuals into four categories based upon BPD symptom profiles.
Results:
Multinomial regression models indicated that adolescent AUDs and other psychiatric disorders mediated the relationship between child physical and/or sexual abuse and adult BPD latent class.
Conclusions:
Results were consistent with a developmental conceptualization of BPD, with AUDs and other adolescent psychopathology antecedents representing developmentally relevant forms of dysregulation, and in their more severe forms culminating in borderline symptomatology.
Related Concept Videos
Borderline Personality Disorder
Genetic and Environmental Contributions
Borderline Personality...
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and...
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms
To diagnose ADHD, symptoms must manifest before age 12 and be evident across multiple settings.
Personality Disorders: Narcissistic and Avoidant
Characteristics of Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic individuals exhibit an inflated sense of self-importance and an excessive need for admiration. They are often...
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Personality Disorders: Dependent and Obsessive-Compulsive
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder is characterized by an excessive reliance on others to manage various aspects of life. Individuals with this disorder often struggle with...

