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Developmental Manifestations of Borderline Personality Pathology from an Age-Specific Dimensional Personality Disorder Trait Framework

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Abstract

The current chapter addresses the description of the childhood borderline construct from a child-specific and comprehensive maladaptive trait framework (i.e. the Dimensional Personality Symptom Itempool, De Clercq, et al., 2006), relying on three different samples and applying a multi-informant design. From cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between early maladaptive traits and various operationalizations of the adult borderline construct, we propose a set of childhood maladaptive traits that can be assumed relevant descriptors of borderline-related pathology at a young age. Delineating such childhood borderline trait profile may contribute to the dimensional assessment of childhood psychopathology and creates avenues for future research that focuses on the etiological roots of borderline personality disorder and require age-specific measures of personality disorders.

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Suggested Reading

  • De Clercq, B., De Fruyt, F., Van Leeuwen, K., & Mervielde, I. (2006). The structure of maladaptive personality traits in childhood: A step toward an integrative developmental perspective for DSM-V. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 639–657. doi: 10.1037/0021-843x.115.4.639.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    B. De Clercq

  2. Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    M. Decuyper & E. De Caluwé

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  1. B. De Clercq
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  2. M. Decuyper
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  3. E. De Caluwé
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Correspondence to B. De Clercq .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

    Carla Sharp

  2. Dept. Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA

    Jennifer L. Tackett

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De Clercq, B., Decuyper, M., De Caluwé, E. (2014). Developmental Manifestations of Borderline Personality Pathology from an Age-Specific Dimensional Personality Disorder Trait Framework. In: Sharp, C., Tackett, J. (eds) Handbook of Borderline Personality Disorder in Children and Adolescents. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0591-1_7

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