Screening borderline personality disorder: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of the McLean screening instrument for borderline personality disorder

Underlying Dimensions of Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review of Factor Analytic Studies

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is considered to be a heterogeneous diagnostic entity, with multiple facets of the disorder influencing its course. Disentangling the structure of BPD criteria is fundamental to better understanding the disorder and targeting problematic behaviors. To identify and critically appraise factor analytic studies examining the structure of BPD criteria. A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. Three computerized databases (Pubmed, Scopus,PsycNET) were searched, resulting in the inclusion of 27 relevant studies. The unified model of BPD has been confirmed by a number of studies, while among multidimensional models, a three-factor model has also gained considerable empirical support. Multidimensional models of BPD tend to cluster together "disordered self" symptoms (identity disturbance and emptiness), affective symptoms (affective instability and anger), and behavioral symptoms (impulsivity and self-harming behaviors). Unidimensional and multidimensional models of the BPD structure are not necessarily in competition. An understanding of BPD as a unified diagnosis composed of three underlying dimensions, could serve the purpose of recognizing and targeting different aspects of the disorder, while maintaining a robust, and clinically useful diagnosis.

Construct Validity and Measurement Invariance of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Short Form (DERS-SF): Further Evidence From Community and Student Samples

The current study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale-Short Form (DERS-SF) in Iran, including testing its measurement invariance across sexes, as well as community and student populations. Two samples were recruited: a community sample of 583 participants (58.7% female; Mage = 33.55) and a university student sample of 409 participants (67.2% female; Mage = 24.48). Besides the DERS-SF, participants completed a battery of instruments online, measuring mentalizing capacity and borderline personality features. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the tenability of the five-factor model, excluding the awareness subscale. Except for the awareness subscale, acceptable to excellent internal consistencies were found for the DERS-SF and its subscales. The awareness-excluded DERS-SF was significantly and strongly associated with relevant constructs (|rs| = .49 to .59). This study also found evidence for configural, metric, and scalar invariance of the DERS-SF across sexes and community and student populations. Our findings extended the evidence for the validity and reliability of the DERS-SF and its awareness-excluded version by administering it in Iranian samples and supporting its cross-cultural applicability.

Iranian adaptation of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ): Validity, reliability, discriminant ability, and sex invariance

INTRODUCTION

Epistemic trust, or trust in transmitted knowledge, has been proposed as a critical factor in psychopathology and psychotherapy. This study aimed at evaluating the psychometric properties of the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust, and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ) in Iran.

METHOD

Data were collected from 906 participants. Along with the ETMCQ, measures of mentalizing, mindfulness, perspective-taking, attachment, emotion dysregulation, and borderline personality disorder were administered. Confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) were used to determine factorial structure.

RESULTS

The ESEM model showed an acceptable fit and outperformed the confirmatory model. A 14-item version of the ETMCQ was retained after examining item performance. Our findings also established criterion-related validity for mistrust and credulity, an acceptable internal consistency for credulity, discriminant power for mistrust and credulity in detecting positive screens for borderline personality disorder, and measurement invariance across sexes.

CONCLUSION

This study provides evidence for the cross-cultural applicability of the ETMCQ. Nonetheless, the validity of the trust and internal consistency of the mistrust subscale require particular attention in future research.

Shame-coping clusters: comparisons regarding attachment insecurities, mentalizing deficits, and personality pathology, controlling for general emotion dysregulation

BACKGROUND

General Emotion Dysregulation (GED) is increasingly implicated as an underlying factor in personality pathology; however, the regulation of specific emotions, such as shame, has been relatively overlooked in the literature. We aimed to identify distinct clusters of shame-coping/regulation and compare them regarding attachment insecurities, mentalizing deficits, and personality pathology, controlling for GED.

METHODS

A convenience sample of 600 participants (351 females and 249 males) from the general population with ages ranging from 18 to 65 (M = 33.78, SD = 12.80) completed a battery of self-report instruments, measuring shame-coping styles, GED, attachment insecurities, mentalizing deficits, criteria A and B of the alternative model for personality disorders, and borderline personality traits. A two-stage clustering method was employed, with shame-coping styles as the clustering variables. The identified clusters were then compared for their effects on dependent variables using multivariate and univariate analyses. These comparisons were also performed after controlling for GED.

RESULTS

Multiple determination methods suggested a two-cluster solution: maladaptive and adaptive shame-coping. Attack-self, withdrawal, and attack-other styles were the main discriminators. Compared with the adaptive cluster, the maladaptive cluster was characterized by higher use of maladaptive and lower use of adaptive shame-coping styles. Multivariate analyses demonstrated significant differences for all the between-cluster comparisons, with and without GED as the covariate (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides evidence for the presence of homogenous clusters of shame-coping in community-based adults. Between-cluster contrasts after controlling for GED suggest that addressing shame-coping could have incremental utility over and above GED.

Validity and reliability: The psychometric properties of the Persian version of Short Form of the Impulsiveness Questionnaire UPPS-P in Iran

BACKGROUND

Impulsiveness is a multidimensional and multifaceted construct that plays an important role in understanding various psychopathology and problematic behavior. It is necessary to study the psychometric properties of instruments in the new culture before its scientific application, and it also contributes to external validity. The current study was conducted to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of Short Form of the Impulsiveness Questionnaire UPPS-P (SUPPS-P) in a sample of male soldiers serving in the military service.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present research design is cross-sectional in 2019-2020. The Iranian version of the SUPPS-P was prepared across forwarding translation, reconciliation, and back-translation. The research sample included 254 soldiers who were selected via convenience sampling method and completed a set of scales, including the SUPPS-P scales, short-form self-compassion scale, McLean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder (MSI-BPD), Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI), Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ), and the Deliberate Self-harm Inventory (DSHI). The construct validity of SUPPS-P scale was measured using confirmatory factor analysis and convergent and divergent validity. For reliability, Cronbach's alpha and test-retest reliability (with 2 weeks interval) were used. Data were analyzed using LISREL software (version 8.8) and SPSS version 22.

RESULTS

The results showed that the SUPPS-P scale is a reliable and valid scale with acceptable internal consistency and acceptable test-retest reliability among soldiers. In terms of convergent validity, SUPPS-P showed a significant positive correlation with measures of MSI-BPD, PERS, and DSHI. SUPPS-P showed a negative correlation with self-compassion and cognitive flexibility, thus demonstrated a good divergent validity. The results of this study also provide support for the five-factor model of the SUPPS-P scale.

CONCLUSION

The SUPPS-P instrument showed acceptable validity and reliability and could be useful in assessing impulsivity in Iranian society. The SUPPS-P scale shows notable promise as a measure for use in impulsivity research and clinical settings.

The mediating role of compassion in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout

BACKGROUND

The coronavirus has caused fundamental changes in our way of life, leading to a wave of psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 epidemic, including stress, anxiety, perceived threats, and fear. Considering the psychological consequences of COVID-19, the present study was conducted with the aim of mediating the role of compassion in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The design of the present study was descriptive correlation. The present study population included all students of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in the academic year 2020. Two hundred and fifty-one students were selected and completed the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Questionnaire, Compassion Scale, and COVID-19 Burnout Scale. Pearson correlation coefficient test and structural equation model were performed using SPSS version 18 and LISREL 8.8.

RESULTS

The results showed that COVID-19 burnout had a positive and significant relationship with the overall score of anxiety syndrome (r = 0.42, P = 0.01), while it has a negative and significant relationship with compassion (r = -0.37, P = 0.01). Compassion also has a significant negative relationship with anxiety syndrome (r = -0.35, P = 0.01). In addition, the results of path analysis showed that compassion plays a mediating role in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety syndrome and COVID-19 burnout.

CONCLUSION

Based on the findings of the present study, it can be said that compassion acts as a protective factor against the negative effects of anxiety syndrome. Therefore, this factor can be considered in the development of prevention and treatment programs for burnout caused by COVID-19.