Interpersonal problems and social dysfunction: Examining patients with avoidant and borderline personality disorder...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Interpersonal problems are a core challenge for individuals with personality disorders (PDs).
• These difficulties significantly impact social functioning across various domains.
• An interpersonal model provides a framework for understanding these relationships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the indirect effects of Avoidant Personality Disorder (AvPD) symptoms on social dysfunction via interpersonal problems.
• To examine the indirect effects of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) symptoms on social dysfunction via interpersonal problems.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study design.
• Utilized self-reported measures from 226 adult outpatients.
• Employed statistical analysis to assess indirect associations.

Main Results:

• For AvPD symptoms, both cold and overly nurturant interpersonal problems were indirectly associated with social dysfunction.
• For BPD symptoms, only overly nurturant interpersonal problems showed a significant indirect association with social dysfunction.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight specific interpersonal problem types linking AvPD and BPD symptoms to social dysfunction.
• Results may inform the development of tailored therapeutic interventions for AvPD and BPD.