The five-factor model of personality in borderline and nonborderline personality disorders.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent the phenomena associated with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD) can be described by the five-factor model of personality.


METHODS
The sample consisted of female patients with BPD (n = 29) and a control group with a mixture of nonborderline personality disorders (n = 30). All subjects were given the NEO-PI-R.


RESULTS
Borderline patients differed from community norms on all five factors, and were particularly high on Neuroticism, and particularly low on Agreeableness. The scores on the five factors did not differ significantly between the 2 clinical groups. Two facets of the conscientiousness scale (competence and deliberation) were significantly lower in the BPD group.


CONCLUSIONS
Dimensional profiles only partially account for the clinical symptomatology seen in formally diagnosed cases of BPD.
Zweig-Frank
H
H
SMBD-Jewish General Hospital, Montréal, Québec.
Paris
J
J
D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values