title: Religion/spirituality status and borderline personality symptomatology among outpatients in an internal medicine clinic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to assess religion/spirituality (RS) status over the preceding 12 months in relationship to borderline personality symptomatology status.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cross-sectional consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients and a self-report survey methodology, we examined RS using the 12-item Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Spiritual Well-Being Scale (FACIT-Sp-12), and borderline personality symptomatology using two self-report measures, the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of FACIT-Sp-12 scales as well as the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score demonstrated an inverse relationship with scores on the individual measures for borderline personality symptomatology as well as a combined measure of such symptoms (individuals who scored positively on both measures). In other words, lower RS was identified in participants with higher levels of borderline personality symptomatology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to findings, compared to participants without borderline personality symptomatology, those with such symptomatology evidenced statistically significantly lower RS on most study scales as well as the overall FACIT-Sp-12 score. This suggests that individuals with borderline personality symptomatology have lower overall levels of RS than individuals without this type of psychopathology.
authors: Departments of Psychiatry, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton, OH, USA. randy.sansone@khnetwork.org
authors: Randy A
authors: RA
authors: Sansone
authors: Amy R
authors: AR
authors: Kelley
authors: Jeremy S
authors: JS
authors: Forbis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007388:Internal Medicine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012069:Religion and Psychology; D057566:Self Report; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D029181:Spirituality; D055815:Young Adult