Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 51, Issue 5 , Pages 458-461, September 2010

Being bullied in childhood: correlations with borderline personality in adulthood

  • Randy A. Sansone

      Affiliations

    • Psychiatry and Internal Medicine at Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio
    • Psychiatry Education at Kettering Medical Center in Kettering, Ohio
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Sycamore Primary Care Center, Miamisburg, Ohio, 45342. Tel.: +1 937 384 6850; fax: +1 937 384 6938.
    • ,
  • Charlene Lam

      Affiliations

    • Wright State University School of Medicine in Dayton, Ohio
    • ,
  • Michael W. Wiederman

      Affiliations

    • Department of Human Relations at Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina

published online 22 March 2010.

Abstract 

Objective

This study was designed to explore correlations between a history of being bullied in childhood and borderline personality disorder (BPD) in adulthood, several externalizing behaviors, and mental health care utilization.

Method

Using a cross-sectional consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients (N = 414), we examined the relationship between history of being bullied in childhood and 2 measures of BPD: the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire–4 and the Self-Harm Inventory. We also explored whether having ever been bullied was related to a number of externalizing behaviors (eg, rage reactions, road rage, excessive spending, alcohol and substance misuse, binge eating) as well as greater mental health care utilization.

Results

In this study, a history of being bullied in childhood demonstrated statistically significant correlations with both measures of BPD as well as a number of externalizing behaviors and the measures for mental health care utilization.

Conclusions

A history of being bullied in childhood demonstrates a positive correlation with BPD in adulthood, externalizing behaviors, and mental health care utilization. Although this does not necessarily imply causality, the nature of this relationship warrants further investigation.

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 There are no acknowledgements, and there was no funding for this study.

PII: S0010-440X(10)00005-2

doi:10.1016/j.comppsych.2010.02.002

Comprehensive Psychiatry
Volume 51, Issue 5 , Pages 458-461, September 2010

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