Specifcity of Insecure Attachment in Adolescents with BPD: Using a Group Comparison with Psychiatric and Healthy Controls

BPD has been conceptualized by previous research as a disorder of insecure attachment. However, whether BPD features demonstrate a higher magnitude of insecure attachment over and above other psychiatric disorders has been largely uninvestigated. The present study used a three-group comparison (Inpatient with BPD, Inpatient without BPD, and Healthy control) to investigate the specificity of insecure attachment in BPD adolescents. Methods: Inpatient sample (n=521) & healthy control sample (n=294) ages 12-17 years completed measures of attachment security. Pearson’s correlations, independent t-test was carried out to determine variable relationships. Finally, hierarchical regression analyses were carried out to examine the incremental contribution of BPD symptoms, over and above internalizing and externalizing symptoms, in predicting attachment security Results: Results suggested that among adolescents ages 12-17 years old, BPD patients demonstrate significantly lower (less secure) scores on a measure of attachment security. BPD features show predictive power in relation to attachment security, over and above internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Conclusions: In summary, our results suggest that among adolescents ages 12-17 years old, BPD patients demonstrate significantly lower (less secure) scores on a measure of attachment security, and BPD features show predictive power in relation to attachment security, over and above internalizing and externalizing symptoms.