Psychometric Properties of the Borderline Symptom List 23 for Brazilian Portuguese in a Nonclinical Sample

Objective: To adapt the Borderline Symptom List 23 (BSL-23) to Brazilian Portuguese and evaluate its psychometric properties in a large nonclinical sample.

Methods: A total of 2,682 participants completed an online questionnaire between December 2021 and January 2022. Participants had a mean age of 26.64 years; most were female (78.2%) and had completed higher education. The adaptation process followed established guidelines, including translation, back-translation, expert evaluation, and target-population review. In addition to the BSL-23, participants completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Statistical analyses included exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, internal consistency assessment, and tests of concurrent validity and measurement invariance.

Results: The BSL-23 maintained a unidimensional structure and demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α=0.95). Exploratory factor analysis indicated high factor loadings for most items, while confirmatory factor analysis required minor adjustments due to collinearity between certain item pairs. Measurement invariance analyses showed small but statistically significant gender differences with minimal practical impact. Concurrent validity was supported by strong correlations with DASS-21 stress and depression subscales and moderate correlations with DERS dimensions.

Conclusion: The Brazilian Portuguese version of the BSL-23 demonstrated robust psychometric properties, confirming its validity for use in Brazilian samples. Future studies should include clinical populations and assess test-retest reliability to strengthen evidence of temporal stability.

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2026;28(4):26m04184.

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