The incremental utility of maladaptive self and identity functioning over general functioning for borderline personality disorder features in adolescents

Abstract

A debate has emerged regarding the nature of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Level of Personality Functioning (LPF; Criterion A) of the alternative model of personality disorder. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the distinctiveness of an aspect of LPF, namely, maladaptive self and identity function, from general psychosocial disability by evaluating its incremental utility over that of general psychosocial disability for personality disorder in adolescents. To this end, a measure of maladaptive self and identity function was administered alongside measures of general psychiatric impairment, peer problems, life satisfaction, and academic functioning in 2 samples of adolescents: a community-dwelling sample (n = 379; M_age = 14.70, SD = 1.74) and a sample of clinically-referred adolescents (n = 74; M_age = 15.05, SD = 1.47). Using hierarchical regression analyses to test our hypotheses, and consistent with the results from studies in adults, our findings showed that maladaptive self and identity function incremented general psychosocial disability in the association with borderline features with similar magnitude for clinical and community samples when considered together and separately. Results are discussed in the context of current views on the nature and meaning of LPF. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).