Borderline personality disorder in young people: associations with support and negative interactions in relationships with mothers and a best friend

Background Impaired interpersonal functioning has been highlighted as a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Adolescence and young adulthood form important developmental stages within both the emergence of BPD and the development of interpersonal functioning, which takes place mostly in relationships with parents and friends. This study aimed to: (i) investigate relations between BPD symptoms and both supportive and negative interactions with mothers and best friends; (ii) investigate whether the relations were moderated by age; (iii) test the robustness of our findings by comparing the results based on self-reports with results from a subsample in which supportive and negative interactions with mothers were rated by the mother. Methods 312 young people referred to mental healthcare completed self-report measures on BPD and supportive and negative interactions. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relations between BPD features and perceived supportive and negative interactions with mothers and a best friend, and to investigate whether these relations were moderated by age. Robustness of our findings was studied in a subsample (n = 104), by using a multi-informant design in maternal report on supportive and negative interactions with mothers. Results Multiple regression analyses demonstrated that negative interactions with mothers as well as with a best friend were related to more BPD symptoms in young people. Supportive interactions were not related to BPD symptoms. Both BPD and quality of relations were not related to age. In a subsample in which supportive and negative interactions with mothers were rated by the mother, the maternal report showed slightly different results. In this model, both supportive and negative interactions with a best friend were positively related, whereas interactions with mothers were not related to BPD symptoms in young people. Conclusions Results highlight the importance of relationships with mothers and a best friend during adolescence and young adulthood. Given that BPD often emerges during this developmental phase, future research is needed to clarify how quality of relationships could alter pathways toward BPD in young people. Trial registration Not applicable.

The Impacts of Friendship, Advice and Negative Ties on Intention To Leave: The case of nurses in a special branch hospital

OBJECTIVES: The high turnover rate of nurses has been a matter of debate among scholars. Nurses’ social interaction patterns and the social structure they are situated within may provide clues about possible causes of their high turnover intentions. This study aims to investigate the possible effects of negative and positive ties on the intention of turnover among nurses. DESIGN & SETTING: A hybrid research methodology was used. Social network analysis was used to reveal the positions of the nurses (n = 126) in the positive and negative networks. A statistical model was formed with varying types of centrality measures, intragroup conflict, and intention to leave variables. The data was collected from all the nurses working in a special branch hospital. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The findings of the study clearly indicate that negative interactions directly and indirectly affect the intention to leave, and the nurses demand professional support from their colleagues. The findings also show the existence of a fragmented social structure among nurses, which suggests the increased importance of brokerage roles. Managers should closely monitor the negative interactions among nurses, and they need to use conflict management techniques frequently to reduce hostile relations in the business environment. Managers should especially seek ways to increase altruistic tendencies among colleagues because nurses demand professional support ties more than friendship relations.

Social Determinants of Men’s Health Across the Life Course

There is a paucity of research focusing on the complex interaction between social, behavioral, biological, and psychosocial factors, and health outcomes among men. This symposium contains a collection of papers that discuss some key social determinants of health (SDOH) that can provide insights to advance our understanding of men’s health and aging across the life course. Dawn will discuss the Stroke Counseling for Risk Reduction (SCORRE) intervention designed to increase awareness, risk perceptions, and health behaviors to reduce stroke risk in African Americans. Findings suggest tailoring the intervention to the needs and preferences of young African American men. Archibald and colleagues seek to determine if race differences in allostatic load (AL) among adult men vary by age. Black men 45-64 had a higher AL score (PR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.02, 1.28) than White men. Skipper and colleagues used a grounded theory approach to examine the negative interactions of 35 religious middle and old age Black men. Analyses reveal that church-related negative interactions broadly fall within the following themes: (1) ageism within intergenerational churches, (2) people are messy, and (3) issues with leadership. Bruce and colleagues examine the association between religious service attendance and mortality among Black men. Participants who attended at least once per week were 18% less likely to die than their peers who did not attend a religious service at all (HR 0.82; 95% CI 0.68-0.99). These presentations collectively will bolster our knowledge on key SDOH among men across the life course.

It's Not Healthy Fellowship: Negative Interactions and the Implications for Middle- and Old-Age Black Men

Despite the benefits of social support on the well-being of Black men across the life course, scholars are more closely examining the potentially negative outcomes associated with some social networks. As one social support system, the Black church frequently serves middle and old age Black men who identify as religiously involved. Yet, higher levels of religious involvement have also been associated with more church-related negative interactions. The present study utilizes a grounded theory approach to examine the negative interactions of religious middle and old age Black men. A semi-structured interview protocol is used to gather data from 35 Black men between the ages of 45 and 76. Analyses reveal that church-related negative interactions broadly fall within the following themes: (1) Ageism Within Intergenerational Churches, (2) People are Messy, and (3) Issues with Leadership. Since negative interactions can be more detrimental than social support is beneficial, health-related implications are discussed.

Inter-phylum negative interactions affect soil bacterial community dynamics and functions during soybean development under long-term nitrogen fertilization

Understanding interspecies interactions is essential to predict the response of microbial communities to exogenous perturbation. Herein, rhizospheric and bulk soils were collected from five developmental stages of soybean, which grew in soils receiving 16-year nitrogen inputs. Bacterial communities and functional profiles were examined using high-throughput sequencing and quantitative PCR, respectively. The objective of this study was to identify the key bacterial interactions that influenced community dynamics and functions. We found that the stages of soybean development outcompeted nitrogen fertilization management in shaping bacterial community structure, while fertilization treatments significantly shaped the abundance distribution of nitrogen functional genes. Temporal variations in bacterial abundances increased in bulk soils, especially at the stage of soybean branching, which helps to infer underlying negative interspecies interactions. Members of Cyanobacteria and Actinobacteria actively engaged in inter-phylum negative interactions in bulk soils and soybean rhizosphere, respectively. Furthermore, the negative interactions between nitrogen-fixing functional groups and the reduction of nifH gene abundance were coupled during soybean development, which may help to explain the linkages between population dynamics and functions. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of inter-phylum negative interactions in shaping the correlation patterns of bacterial communities and in determining soil functional potential.

Mapping and modeling human-black bear interactions in the Catskills region of New York using resource selection probability functions

Black bears (Ursus americanus) are an iconic and common species throughout much of the United States and people regularly interact with these large predators without conflict. However, negative interactions between people and bears can manifest in conflicts that can hinder conservation efforts. Black bears are highly attracted to anthropogenic sources of food, and negative interactions with people are primarily a product of trash mismanagement. In the Catskills region of New York State, home to a large population of black bears, over 400 such conflicts are reported each year. While the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has seen progress recently in educating residents of the region on how to reduce unwanted interactions with bears, they have had less success educating the 12 million tourists that visit the Catskills each year. Understanding where conflict may occur in the future, and the environmental and anthropogenic factors that precede it, may help guide management strategies to reduce these unwanted interactions. Therefore, we designed resource selection probability functions (RSPFs) to examine the relationship between human-black bear conflicts in the Catskills with a suite of landscape and anthropogenic data, using conflicts reported to the DEC across the state of New York in 2018–2019. We found that human-black bear conflicts were more likely to occur in the residential areas of the Catskills on the urban-wildland interface; areas with relatively higher human population densities, away from dense forest, and further from heavily urbanized areas. While future work is needed to continuously validate our model predictions, our results will provide the DEC and other conservation managers in the Catskills the ability to create more targeted plans for mitigating unwanted human-black bear interactions, and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms driving human-carnivore interactions at an urban-wildland interface more generally.

Borderline Personality Disorder in Young People: Associations with Support and Negative Interactions in Relationships with Mothers and a Best Friend

Background:Impaired interpersonal functioning has been highlighted as a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Adolescence and young adulthood form important developmental stages within both the emergence of BPD and the development of interpersonal functioning, which takes place mostly in relationships with parents and friends. This study aimed to: (i) investigate relations between BPD symptoms and both supportive and negative interactions with mothers and best friends; (ii) investigate whether the relations were moderated by age; (iii) test the robustness of our findings by comparing the results based on self-reports with results from a subsample in which supportive and negative interactions with mothers were rated by the mother.Methods312 young people referred to mental healthcare completed self-report measures on BPD and supportive and negative interactions. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine the relations between BPD features and perceived supportive and negative interactions with mothers and best friend, and to investigate whether these relations were moderated by age. Robustness of our findings was studied in a subsample (n = 104) by using a multi-informant design in maternal report on supportive and negative interactions with mothers. ResultsMultiple regression analyses demonstrated that negative interactions with mothers as well as with a best friend were related to more BPD symptoms in young people. Supportive interactions were not related to BPD symptoms. Both BPD and quality of relations were not related to age. In a subsample in which supportive and negative interactions with mothers were rated by the mother, the maternal report showed slightly different results. In this model, both supportive and negative interactions with a best friend were positively related, whereas interactions with mothers were not related to BPD symptoms in young people.ConclusionsResults highlight the importance of relationships with mothers and a best friend during adolescence and young adulthood. Given that BPD often emerges during this developmental phase, future research is needed to clarify how quality of relationships could alter pathways toward BPD in young people.

Social Behaviour in Zoo Bachelor Groups: A Case Study of Related South American Fur Seals

Appropriate management of social groups is one of the greatest challenges that face zoos and aquaria worldwide. To facilitate breeding programmes, particularly in polygynous species, there is a need to house surplus males in bachelor groups, yet for pinnipeds, the social impact of this management strategy is unknown. The aim of this research was to enhance understanding of sociality in South American fur seals (SAFSs), with a particular focus on social dynamics in a related bachelor group, and consider implications for evidence-based management of this species in zoos. The subjects were four related male seals housed at Bristol Zoo Gardens. Social interaction and nearest neighbour data were collected between February and July 2019. Individuals engaged in both positive and negative social interactions. Positive interactions were more frequent than negative interactions, and no excessive negative interactions were observed. Temporal dynamics were observed in social relationships, and negative interactions did not increase with the onset of the breeding season. Reciprocity in dyadic relationships was variable across the study months, and nearest neighbours were not necessarily reflective of social partners. This research highlights the importance of longitudinal monitoring of social relationships and establishment of baseline social behaviour profiles to support evidence-based species management. We advocate that this research is extended, to further develop our understanding of SAFS social needs within zoo environments, to understand the differences between single-sex and mixed-sex groups and to identify the degree to which the extensive research conducted in other polygynous species (e.g., gorillas) is applicable in the social management of South American fur seals moving forwards.

Interpersonal Correlates of Dementia Caregivers’ Emotional Support Networks: Considering Family History

Caregiving networks of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) are comprised of family and friends directly involved in caregiving activities and those supporting these activities. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether caregiving-related behaviors and interactions (i.e., uplift, malfeasance, and nonfeasance), kinship tie (i.e., friend, family), and family history of ADRD were associated with caregivers’ emotional support networks. Seventy-one caregivers across 30 families provided information about 776 network members. Perceived emotional support and interactions representing uplift, malfeasance, and nonfeasance were assessed. Results indicated that uplift and friendship were associated with increased, whereas nonfeasance was associated with decreased, likelihood of perceived emotional support. Caregivers with a family history of ADRD were particularly more likely to report emotional support from friends and uplifting network members. Findings suggest the need for differential strategies based on families’ prior caregiving experience to facilitate positive and minimize negative interactions within caregiving networks.