Subgroups of Adolescent Girls With Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms

The aim of this study was to determine whether borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be differentiated from other disorders in a clinical sample of adolescent girls. Participants (N = 75) were grouped based on the pattern of BPD symptom endorsement using a latent class analysis. Four latent classes were identified. The most impaired class endorsed seven BPD symptoms and an average of three comorbid disorders. An intermediate class endorsed three BPD symptoms and had the highest prevalence of PTSD (41.7%). A third class reported two BPD symptoms and had a high prevalence of anxiety disorders (62%). The fourth class had no BPD symptoms and, on average, one comorbid disorder. Only a small subset of these teenage girls met criteria for BPD, and they had distinct and severe impairment. The results suggest the modest likelihood of a BPD diagnosis in clinical samples of teenage girls, and to also be vigilant for PTSD.