A preliminary study of the relation between trauma symptoms and emerging BPD in adolescent inpatients

The relation between trauma and borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been studied in great detail with adults, but few studies have examined this link in adolescents. Furthermore, virtually nothing is known about how different aspects of trauma relate to BPD and whether trauma symptoms reflect actual trauma history in adolescents diagnosed with BPD. Using a sample of 147 adolescent psychiatric inpatients, the authors examined the concurrent link between trauma symptoms, trauma history, and BPD. Findings suggest that adolescents with BPD are more likely than their non-BPD counterparts to have a history of sexual trauma and to report sexual concerns. However, the link between BPD and sexual concerns is not completely explained by increased sexual trauma history in the BPD group, indicating that there is some relation between BPD and sexual concerns independent of trauma history. These findings are discussed within an attachment framework. The preliminary nature of this study is noted and used as the basis for encouraging future research in the area.