Applying Personality Assessment Inventory Borderline Scales and Alternative Model for Personality Disorder Borderline...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Diagnosis
• Personality Disorders Research

Background:

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) offers a dimensional approach to personality pathology.
• Assessing borderline personality disorder (BPD) requires evaluating both functional impairment and specific personality traits.
• Traditional measures like the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI) Borderline (BOR) scales need integration with newer conceptualizations like AMPD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive validity of combining traditional PAI Borderline scales with novel PAI-derived AMPD BPD facets.
• To assess the ability of these combined measures to predict DSM BPD criteria as identified by structured clinical interviews and a specialized scale.
• To explore the utility of these measures in predicting psychological health and illness severity.

Main Methods:

• Two independent clinical samples (N=143 and N=129) were utilized.
• Correlational analyses were performed between AMPD BPD facets, PAI BOR scales, DSM BPD criteria (SCID-II), and the OMNI Borderline Personality Scale.
• Hierarchical linear regressions with stepwise entry were employed to determine predictive power.

Main Results:

• The combination of PAI BOR subscales and AMPD BPD facets significantly predicted SCID-II BPD criteria, explaining 37% of the variance.
• This combined approach demonstrated even stronger prediction for the OMNI Borderline scale, accounting for 67% of the variance.
• The BPD facet total and PAI BOR full scale showed predictive ability for psychological health and illness severity.

Conclusions:

• Integrating traditional PAI Borderline scales with AMPD-derived facets enhances the prediction of BPD criteria.
• This combined assessment strategy offers a more comprehensive approach to identifying and understanding borderline personality pathology.
• Findings support the clinical utility of the AMPD framework and its integration with existing psychometric tools for BPD assessment.