Dissociation, trauma, affect regulation and personality in patients with a borderline personality organization

While the association between dissociation and trauma has been the subject of intensive research, the relationship between dissociation, childhood trauma, and personality characteristics has not yet been explored in detail. Fifty two patients suffering from a personality disorder completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and the personality and affect regulation measurement instruments SWAP and AREQ. Results are critically discussed within a psychoanalytic framework, which should also help clarify the rather vague concept of dissociation.