Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No.81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
Department of Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No.81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China; Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, Hefei, China; NHC Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei 230032, Anhui, China.
J Affect Disord. 2022 Oct 1;314:249-252. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.07.028. Epub 2022 Jul 22.
A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role of psychological adjustment (PA) as a mediator of this relationship. The purpose of the study was to explore the mediating role of PA in the CM-BPF linkage in a large sample of early adolescents.
A total of 5724 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 1.0) were recruited from three middle schools by using the multistage random cluster sampling method in Anhui Province, China. Participants were required to complete self-report questionnaires regarding CM experience, self-perceived PA and BPF. Mediation analyses were computed via structural equation modelling.
CM victimization was positively associated with BPF, and individuals with lower levels of PA were more likely to present with BPF. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on BPF via PA (effect = 0.047, 95 % CI: 0.035, 0.058).
The cross-sectional design of this study did not allow testing causality. The retrospective investigation of CM history could cause recall bias.
PA partially mediates the relationship between CM and BPF. These findings have important implications for considering PA as a protective factor in this relationship.
儿童期虐待（CM）与边缘型人格特征（BPF）之间存在很强的关联已得到一致证实。然而，对于心理适应（PA）作为这种关系的中介作用知之甚少。本研究的目的是在一个较大的早期青少年样本中探讨 PA 在 CM-BPF 联系中的中介作用。
采用多阶段随机整群抽样方法，在中国安徽省的三所中学共招募了 5724 名学生（平均年龄=13.5，SD=1.0）。要求参与者完成关于 CM 经历、自我感知的 PA 和 BPF 的自我报告问卷。通过结构方程模型进行中介分析。
CM 受害与 BPF 呈正相关，PA 水平较低的个体更有可能出现 BPF。中介分析显示，CM 通过 PA 对 BPF 有显著的间接影响（效应=0.047，95%CI：0.035，0.058）。
本研究的横断面设计不允许检验因果关系。CM 史的回顾性调查可能会导致回忆偏差。
PA 部分中介了 CM 与 BPF 之间的关系。这些发现对于将 PA 视为这种关系中的保护因素具有重要意义。
