The Association Between Independent Study Desk Ownership and Borderline Personality Features in Children and...

Children in difficulty are at heightened risk of developing personality-related problems, partly due to gaps in family care and social protection. This study examines whether (a) the availability of an individual study desk at home-a basic family educational resource-is associated with borderline personality features (BPFs) in this population and (b) perceived social support and school life shape this association. Using survey data from 14,993 children in difficulty in Hubei Province, China, and applying propensity score matching (PSM), we find that children with their own desk report significantly lower levels of BPFs. The protective association between desk ownership and children's perceptions of social support is stronger when children perceive higher social support, whereas indicators of school life do not significantly moderate this relationship. Heterogeneity analyses further show that the benefit of having a desk is greater for children without siblings. These findings highlight the protective role of physical learning environments and suggest that targeted provision of basic educational resources could serve as a practical entry point for early-intervention programs aimed at reducing the risk of developing BPFs.