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Published on: March 8, 2018
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The Sociocultural Context of Borderline Traits
Breanna J Rogers1, Blair E Wisco1, Rosemery O Nelson-Gray1
1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Journal of Personality Disorders
|August 4, 2025
Summary
Racial and gender differences in borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits are minimal, with some exceptions like aggression in Black participants and men. BPD severity impacts traits across all groups.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Mental Health Research
Background:
- Previous research indicated racial differences in borderline personality disorder (BPD) trait presentation between Black and White women.
- Limited research has explored these differences in men or across varying levels of BPD severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of race and gender on the presentation of BPD traits.
- To examine these effects across the full spectrum of BPD severity.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 196 participants completed surveys on comorbid internalizing and externalizing traits.
- Analysis focused on identifying differences in trait presentation based on race and gender across BPD severity levels.
Main Results:
- Most observed differences in BPD traits between racial and gender groups were not statistically significant.
- Notable exceptions included higher physical aggression among Black participants compared to White participants.
- Men reported higher overall and physical aggression, while women reported higher rejection sensitivity.
Conclusions:
- Borderline trait severity significantly correlated with internalizing and externalizing traits in all examined groups.
- Findings highlight the need for diverse participant sampling in BPD research to understand its varied manifestations.
- Race and gender appear to have a limited, though present, impact on BPD trait presentation compared to overall severity.
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