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Updated: May 27, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Personalities of adults with traumatic childhood separations
Johanna C Malone1, Drew Westen, Alytia A Levendosky
1Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, One Bowdoin Square, Boston, MA 02114, USA. johanna.malone@gmail.com
Objectives:
This study examined personality characteristics and identified personality subtypes of adults with childhood histories of traumatic separations from a parent. Previous work from attachment theory and developmental psychopathology suggests that distinct developmental trajectories might lead to different styles of personality adaptation after an attachment disruption. design: Randomly selected psychologists and psychiatrists provided data on 203 adults with histories of traumatic separations using a personality pathology instrument designed for use by clinically experienced observers, the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure (SWAP-II).
Results:
Using a Q-factor analysis, 5 distinct personality subtypes were identified: internalizing/avoidant, psychopathic, emotionally dysregulated, hostile/paranoid, and resilient. Initial support for the validity of the subtypes was established, based on Axis I and Axis II pathology, adaptive functioning, developmental history, and family history variables.
Conclusions:
Both therapeutic interventions and case formulation might be strengthened by considering an individual's personality features and match to one of the identified subtypes.
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