Screening for borderline personality pathology on college campuses

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms often persist into adulthood despite normative declines.
• Early identification in college students may prevent long-term psychosocial impairment during a critical developmental period.
• Understanding personality pathology in young adults is essential for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the prevalence of BPD in a diverse college student sample.
• To identify specific BPD symptoms associated with the highest risk of screening positive.
• To evaluate the utility of the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 brief form (PID-5-BF) for BPD screening.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 1456 undergraduate students.
• Screening for BPD using the PID-5-BF.
• Statistical analysis to determine symptom-specific risk and diagnostic accuracy.

Main Results:

• A prevalence of 21.4% (312 students) screened positive for BPD.
• Chronic feelings of emptiness conferred the highest relative risk (15 times more likely) for BPD screening.
• PID-5-BF scales and composite scores showed sufficient to excellent diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions:

• Chronic emptiness is a significant indicator for identifying at-risk college students for BPD.
• The PID-5-BF is a valuable tool for screening personality pathology in young adults.
• Early screening and intervention are vital for mitigating long-term impairment associated with BPD.