Borderline but not antisocial personality disorder symptoms are related to self-reported partner aggression in late middle-age

Abstract

We examined the relationship between personality pathology and the frequency of self-reported psychological and physical partner aggression in a community sample of 872 adults aged 55-64. Previous research suggests that antisocial and borderline personality disorder (PD) symptoms are associated with partner aggression. Controlling for gender, education, alcohol dependence, and other personality pathology, we found that borderline PD symptoms, which include abandonment fears, unstable identity, and affective instability, were significantly related to the frequency of self-reported aggression toward one's partner. This relationship was observed regardless of whether the participant's personality was described by a clinical interviewer, the participant themselves, or an informant chosen by the participant. Further, the relationship between borderline PD symptoms and self-reported partner aggression was moderated by gender such that women were driving the association. Conversely, antisocial PD symptoms, which include deceitfulness, irresponsibility, disregard for rules, and lack of remorse did not significantly account for variance in self-reported partner aggression.

Figure 1

Predicted number of aggressive events in the past 12 months at each level of borderline pathology, as defined by each of the three personality assessments (SIDP clinical interview, participant’s own assessment, and informant’s assessment using the MAPP). These data relate to the average person in the sample in terms of covariates (gender, education, and alcohol dependence) and severity of other Cluster B disorders.