Borderline personality disorder and aggressive behavior: A study based on the DSM-5 alternative model

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Personality Disorders

Background:

• Unplanned reactive aggression is a key clinical feature in borderline personality disorder (BPD).
• Early identification of personality traits linked to aggression is crucial for managing BPD.
• This study focuses on adult outpatients with BPD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between personality facets of the DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) and aggression components.
• To identify specific personality traits associated with hostility, anger, verbal, and physical aggression in BPD patients.

Main Methods:

• A clinical sample of 122 adult BPD outpatients was analyzed.
• The Personality Inventory for DSM (PID-5) was used to assess personality facets.
• The Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) measured four components of aggression: hostility, anger, verbal, and physical aggression.
• Robust regression models were employed to identify relationships between PID-5 facets/domains and aggression components.

Main Results:

• Verbal and physical aggression in BPD outpatients were primarily associated with the PID-5 antagonism domain.
• Physically aggressive behavior was also linked to the callousness facet.
• The traits most consistently associated with aggression were the antagonism domain and the hostility facet.

Conclusions:

• Clinicians treating individuals with BPD should focus on antagonism, callousness, and hostility traits to understand aggression.
• These findings underscore the importance of assessing specific personality facets for managing aggression in BPD.