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Background: This study aimed to identify personality features characterizing adolescent girls and boys with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and to see whether meaningful patterns of heterogeneity exist among adolescents diagnosed with the disorder. Methods: Two hundred and ninety-four randomly selected doctoral-level clinicians described adolescent patients using Axis II rating scales and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 for Adolescents (SWAP-200-A). We used the SWAP-200-A to provide empirically derived descriptions of female and male adolescents meeting DSM-IV criteria for BPD (who differed substantially in their profiles), and used Q-factor analysis to identify naturally occurring groupings of female patients based on shared personality features. Results: The symptoms and phenomenology of adolescent girls with BPD are similar to those of adults. Adolescent boys meeting BPD criteria have a more aggressive, disruptive, antisocial presentation. Although "N"s did not permit further analysis of the data on adolescent boys, Q-analysis isolated four clinically coherent subgroups of girls with BPD: high-functioning internalizing, histrionic, depressive internalizing, and angry externalizing. Conclusions: BPD in female adolescents resembles DSM-IV BPD as defined for adults. The operating characteristics of the DSM-IV criteria for adolescent boys require further investigation. Empirically derived subgroups are similar to those identified in recent research with adult females. Differences across subgroups on internalizing and externalizing Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scales provide preliminary data on the validity of subgroups and raise questions about the place of BPD among internalizing and externalizing spectrum disorders.

Incarcerated women's perceptions of the prison environment were explored with respect to relative level of safety from interpersonal abuse in prison as compared to before incarceration. Perceived levels of safety were analyzed based on reported past experiences of interpersonal violence. Participants were 65 women incarcerated in a medium security prison for women with mental and physical health problems. Women's perceptions of safety were evaluated using close-ended quantitative and open-ended qualitative self-report questions. The results suggest that, for some women, prison may be a relatively safe environment and that perceived level of safety may vary with the extent of previous experience of interpersonal violence in childhood and adulthood. Given that the structure of correctional institutions often incorporates abusive dynamics, the directionality of the findings is theoretically and socially important. The patterns apparent in these data are also consistent with other research and theory on the experiences of incarcerated women. (Contains 1 table.)

A study to ascertain the relationship betweenchildhood abuseand the risk of developing stress disorder symptoms in adults was conducted. Results did not find any significant relation but suggested a potential gene-childhood environment that could cause adult posttraumatic stress disorder.

The relevance of attachment theory and research for practice has become increasingly clear. The authors describe a series of studies with 3 aims: (a) to validate measures of attachment for use by clinicians with adolescents and adults, (b) to examine the relation between attachment and personality pathology, and (c) to ascertain whether factor analysis can recover dimensions of attachment reflecting both interpersonal and narrative style. In 3 studies, experienced clinicians provided psychometric data using 1 of 4 attachment questionnaires (2 adolescent and 2 adult samples). Attachment dimensions predicted both personality pathology and developmental experiences in predictable ways. Factor analysis identified 4 dimensions that replicated across adolescent and adult samples on the basis of a combination of interpersonal and narrative indicators: secure, dismissing, preoccupied, and incoherent/disorganized. Keywords: attachment, clinical prediction, dismissing, disorganized, personality disorders

Research presented concerns the psychological factors associated with abusive men and dating violence. Topics addressed include need to control dating partner, levels of physical force in a relationship, and the effect of low self-esteem and problem-solving skills on risk for violent behavior.