Explicit and Implicit Measures of Identity Diffusion in Adolescent Girls With Borderline Personality Disorder

The present study is the first to examine both the implicit and explicit self-concept of identity diffusion in a sample of adolescent patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). A clinical sample of adolescent girls with diagnosed BPD (N = 30; M age = 15.9 years) and a sample of girls with a healthy personality development (N = 33; M age = 16.6 years) completed an implicit association test (IAT) that was adjusted to identity diffusion, the core of BPD. Common domains of child and adolescent psychopathology and core components of BPD were assessed using self-reports on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Borderline Personality Features Scale for Children—11 (BPFSC-11) and the Assessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA). BPD patients scored significantly higher on explicit measures of borderline pathology than girls with a healthy personality development. A crucial finding for this study was that girls with BPD had a significantly lower implicit preference for stability than their counterparts in the control group. Moreover, explicit measures of borderline personality pathology were significantly correlated with an implicit measure of identity diffusion, the core of BPD. However, when looking at the predictive ability of implicit and explicit measures, only explicit identity diffusion was significantly associated with borderline features. Our data suggests that adolescent girls with BPD differ from healthy individuals not only in their conscious representation but also in their implicit representation of the self with regard to BPD related characteristics, which further advances the need for the identification of at-risk adolescents.

Identity Diffusion and Extremist Attitudes in Adolescence

Various theoretical approaches assume that identity diffusion is an influencing factor of extremism. However, there are hardly any empirical tests on this relationship. Based on a nationwide survey of 8,317 young people in Switzerland, the study analyses whether identity diffusion is associated with right-wing extremist, left-wing extremist, and Islamist extremist attitudes. In addition, the study tests whether identity diffusion mediates the influence of family and school-related variables on extremist attitudes. The results show that identity diffusion primarily increases approval of left-wing extremist and Islamist extremist attitudes. Furthermore, identity diffusion mediates to a small extent the influence of parenting on extremist attitudes.

Suicidality and Personality Pathology in Adolescence: A Systematic Review

This work presents a review of research papers examining the role of emerging personality pathology in suicidal ideation and behaviours in adolescence. Initially, 226 studies were selected in line with PRISMA guidelines, and 33 articles were finally included in this review. The data show percentages of any personality disorder diagnosis ranging from 19.5 to 22.8% in suicide attempters, while in autopsy studies, the rate of personality disorder diagnosis varied between 29.6 and 42.1%. The overwhelming majority of the studies focus on the role of borderline personality disorder (BPD) in suicidal behaviours, also highlighting its predictive role at a longitudinal level. Furthermore, the literature review shows that personality traits supposed to underlie BPD, such as affective instability, impulsivity and identity diffusion, have specific predictive links with suicidal conduct. Other personality pathology dimensions, such as aggressiveness, sadism and perfectionism that are associated with other personality disorders, namely, antisocial and narcissistic personality disorders, have also shown a significant mediating role for suicidal risk. Overall, these results seem to parallel the role of personality pathology in predicting suicide in adulthood and point to the relevance of assessing the presence of emerging patterns of personality disorders for the clinical management of suicidal risk in adolescence.

Identity Diffusion as the Organizing Principle of Borderline Personality Traits in Adolescents—A Non-clinical Study

Growing evidence shows that diagnosing and treating borderline personality disorder (BPD) is of high relevance for affected youths. Although identity crisis is part of the normative developmental process, identity diffusion is a potential candidate for being an appropriate concept in further developing screening tools and interventions for BPD treatment in adolescence. We hypothesized that severity of borderline traits (as indicated by the strength of their associations with identity diffusion) would be negatively associated with non-clinical adolescents' endorsement of borderline features' presence. We also hypothesized that identity diffusion had a central role in the network of borderline personality traits and could be conceived of as a latent organizing principle of borderline personality disorder. In our study, 169 non-clinical adolescents (81 girls and 88 boys; Mage = 15.38; SDage = 1.52) filled out self-report measures of borderline personality features and identity diffusion. According to our results, having strong feelings and interpersonal sensitivity were the two most endorsed borderline personality features. Borderline personality features were positively correlated with identity diffusion. The more severe a borderline personality feature was, the less relevant it was for non-clinical adolescents. According to a network analysis, identity diffusion was the most central and least redundant element of the network of borderline personality traits. Results are discussed from a clinical point of view, further encouraging professionals to use identity diffusion screening tools to detect BPD in adolescence.

Childhood Peer Victimization, Identity Diffusion and Disordered Eating Behaviors in Emerging Adults

Childhood peer victimization (CPV) has been associated with clinical and subclinical forms of disordered eating behaviors (DEBs). However, less is known about the mechanisms involved in this association, especially in emerging adulthood. The present study examined the relationship between harmfulness of the CPV experiences, identity diffusion and DEBs using Structural Equation Modeling. Emphasis was given in the investigation of the indirect effect of CPV harmfulness on DEBs through identity diffusion. Data from 414 emerging adults was collected via an online questionnaire. The analysis indicated significant direct effects of CPV harmfulness on both restrictive and binge-eating. More importantly, findings supported the indirect relationship between CPV harmfulness and binge-eating through identity diffusion. Results provide preliminary support for the role of CPV harmfulness and identity diffusion as contributing factors in the development of DEBs in emerging adults. Implications for future research are discussed.

How Does It Feel to Have a Disturbed Identity? The Phenomenology of Identity Diffusion in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Qualitative Study

Identity diffusion is one of the defining characteristics of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Given its central importance in the formal diagnostic criteria for personality disorders, identity diffusion is remarkably under-researched. In particular, our knowledge of the phenomenology of identity diffusion needs to be improved. This study is based on semistructured interviews with 16 younger women SCID-5–diagnosed with BPD. All interviews were analyzed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. On the basis of this analysis, the patients’ descriptions of how identity diffusion manifests itself in their subjective experience are classified into nine categories: disintegrated self-image; using various façades to stabilize the self; painful feelings of the self as broken; feeling that the self does not fit in; inner emptiness; “I don't know what I want”; great need for attention from others to stabilize identity; feeling unable to handle interpersonal relationships; and using sex to distract the self and regulate painful self-states.

Increasing student identity in preventing student aggressive behavior

The low self-identity of students causes aggressive behavior. The phenomenon of aggressive behavior is the act of attacking others directly or indirectly to hurt others both physically and psychologically. Aggressiveness among adolescents is increasing from year to year, based on data released by the Central Statistics Agency, in 2007 it was recorded that 3145 adolescents aged ? 18 years of age became criminals and continued to increase to 3280 in 2007, and 4123 in 2008. Self-identity is one of the factors that influence the emergence of aggressive behavior. The purpose of this study is to describe the self-identity of students at SMK Muhammadiyah 1 Padang City. This research uses descriptive analysis. The sample of this study was 114 students who were taken using purposive sampling technique. The instrument used was "Self-identity scale in preventing aggressiveness" with a reliability value of 0.881. The results showed that: (1) the aspect of Identity diffusion was in the medium category with a percentage of 67%; (2) Identity foreclosure aspects are in the medium category with a percentage of 39%; (3) the Identity aspect of the moratorium is in the low category with a percentage of 45%; and (4) Identity achievement is in the low category with a percentage of 41.2%. The results of the study generally show that the students' self-identity is in the medium category with a percentage of 71.1% and it needs to be improved in order to prevent aggressive behavior.

Uncovering the Identity Conditions of High School Students

This study aims to analyze the identity of high school students based on four levels of status (identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and identity achievement). Self-identity is very important because the task of development at that time is to adapt to changes that exist in oneself. Teens who experience an identity crisis show that they are trying to find their identity. Therefore, adolescents need help to improve their identity. This study aims to describe the identity of students. The sample in this study consisted of 240 high school students who were selected by proportional random sampling. The instrument used was a self-identity scale. The instrument used has been tested for validity and reliability. Data analysis in this study used a quantitative approach with descriptive methods. The results showed that identity diffusion was in the high category 33.85 (81 students), identity foreclosure was in the high category 10.8% (26 students), identity moratorium was in the high category 46.2% (111 students), and identity achievement was at high category 9.3% (22 students). The implication of this research is the counselor's basis for improving the self-identity of students in schools

AZ IDENTITÁSFEJLŐDÉS FELMÉRÉSE SERDÜLŐKORBAN KÉRDŐÍV MAGYAR ADAPTÁCIÓJA (AIDA-HUNGARY) SERDÜLŐK NEM KLINIKAI MINTÁJÁN

Háttér és célkitűzésekAz Identitásfejlődés Felmérése Serdülőkorban kérdőív (AIDA) az egészséges identitásfejlődés, a normatív identitáskrízis és az identitásdijfúzió elkülönítésére alkalmas önkitöltős módszer a serdülő korosztály részére. A diffúz identitásszerveződés a személyiségzavarok egyik átható jellemzője, ezáltal az AIDA hatékony indikátora lehet a serdülőkori személyiségzavarok korai felismerésének. Tanulmányunk célja az AIDA magyar nyelvre és kultúrára történő adaptációja és pszichometriai jellemzőinek vizsgálata volt nem klinikai mintán.MódszerA faktoranalízisekhez felhasznált minta 522 főből állt, az életkori átlag 15,6 (SD = 1,93) év volt. A validitásvizsgálatokat a teljes minta 366 fős almintáján végeztük el. Az érvényesség ellenőrzéséhez a Képességek és Nehézségek Kérdőívet (SDQ) és a Borderline Személyiségvonások skálát (BPFSC-11) használtuk.EredményekA megerősítő faktoranalízisek alapján a magyar nyelvű AIDA faktorstruktúrája megfelel az eredeti mérőeszköz kétskálás, hat alskálás szerkezetének. A kérdőív illeszkedési mutatói a tudományos kritériumoknak megfelelőek. Az AIDA skálái közepes erősségű korrelációt mutattak az Érzelmi tünetekkel, Viselkedési problémákkal és a Hiperaktivitás skáával, míg erős kapcsolatot mutattak a borderline vonásokkal. A regresszióanalízis alapján az AIDA Identitásdiffúzió összpontszám magas magyarázó erővel bír a borderline vonásokra nézve.KövetkeztetésekAz eredmények alapján az AIDA-Hungary egy megbízható és jól mérő kérdőív, amely alkalmasnak bizonyult a normatív és a patológia irányába mutató identitáskrízis elkülönítésére. Az AIDAezáltal lehetővé teszi a serdülők identitásfejlődésének személyiségfunkciók szempontjából történő felmérését a 12–18 éves korosztálynál, illetve a személyiségfejlődési problémák korai felismerését.Background and aimsAssessment of Identity Development in Adolescence (AIDA) is a self-report questionnaire in order to differentiate healthy identity development from normative identity crisis and from identity diffusion. Diffuse identity is a pervasive feature of personality disorders, thereby AIDA can be a useful indicator in early detection of personality disorders in adolescent. The aim of our study is the Hungarian cultural adaptation of AIDA and to examine its psychometric properties.MethodThe sample used for factor analysis consisted of 522 adolescents with an average age of 15.6 (SD=1.93). Validity tests were performed on a 366 sub-sample of the entire sample. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Borderline Personality Features Scale-11 (BPFSC-11) were used for examine construct validity.ResultsBased on the confirmatory factor analysis, the factor structure of the Hungarian AIDA is consistent with the two scales and six subscales structure of the original instrument. The model-fit indices meet the scientific criteria. AIDA scales displayed moderate correlation with Emotional Symptoms, Behavior problems and Hyperactivity scale, while strong correlation was found with borderline traits. Based on the regression analysis, the AIDA Identity Diffusion total score has a high explanatory power on borderline traits.ConclusionConcerning our results we can assume AIDA-Hungary is a reliable and valid questionnaire, which has proven to be able to distinguish between normative and pathological identity crisis. Thereby it provides a new measurement for adolescents aged 12-18 years to assess identity development in terms of personality functioning and to identify problems of personality development.