Specific Attachment Trauma with Female Patients Suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder - A Content Analysis

摘要

Etiological theories describing the development of a borderline personality disorder refer to a multifaceted model comprising an interplay of neurobiological, genetic and psychosocial factors, such as adverse events during childhood. In several studies, a predominance of high rates of traumatic experiences in childhood was reported. The aim of the present study was to develop a specific category system, based on of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI), to analyze distinct features of attachment trauma. This rating system was assessed against patients (n = 53) with borderline personality disorder and revealed a high inter-rater reliability between two independent judges. External validity was shown by a high convergence between the trauma scales and the AAI categories. The degree of severity of general traumatization, especially sexual and physical abuse, differentiated between, organized" versus, disorganized" categories in the AAI. Moreover, the degree of severity of sexual abuse was associated with lower psychosocial functioning, a lower personality organization and comorbid PTSD. The results indicate that the degree of severity of traumatization, i.e. dimensional, trauma-load", can be rated using transcripts of the AAI and specific trauma scales that are associated with psychopathology in this borderline sample.