title: Covariance and specificity in adolescent schizotypal and borderline trait expression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The first aim of the present study is to assess the overlap between borderline and schizotypal traits during adolescence. The second objective is to examine whether some psychological factors (i.e. cognitive coping mechanisms, impulsivity and encoding style) are differentially related to borderline and schizotypal traits and may therefore improve the efficiency of clinical assessments.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred nineteen community adolescents (57 male) aged from 12 to 19 years completed a set of questionnaires evaluating the expression of borderline and schizotypal traits as well as cognitive emotion regulation (CER), impulsivity and encoding style.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our data first yielded a strong correlation between borderline and schizotypal scores (r = 0.70, P < 0.001). Secondly, linear regression models indicated that the 'catastrophizing' CER strategy and the 'lack of premeditation' impulsivity facet accounted for the level of borderline traits, whereas an internal encoding style predominantly explained schizotypal traits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the abundant literature showing that borderline and schizotypal traits frequently co-occur. Moreover, we provide original data indicating that borderline and schizotypal traits during adolescence are linked to different specific psychological mechanisms. Thus, we underline the importance of considering these mechanisms in clinical assessments, in particular to help disentangle personality disorder traits in youths.
authors.affiliation: Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.|Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Badoud
authors.affiliation: Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
authors.forename: Joël
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Billieux
authors.affiliation: Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.|Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eliez
authors.affiliation: Office Médico-Pédagogique, Clinical Outpatient Service of Geneva State, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Anouk
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Imhof
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health and Psychiatry, University Hospital of Geneva, Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.affiliation: Office Médico-Pédagogique, Clinical Outpatient Service of Geneva State, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eytan
authors.affiliation: Adolescence Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.|Office Médico-Pédagogique Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Debbané
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D007389:Internal-External Control; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011594:Psychometrics; D012569:Schizotypal Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: assessment; co-morbidity; cognitive coping; encoding style; impulsivity