The goal of this Research Career Development Award (K01) is to provide a five-year career development and research training program that will enable the candidate to conduct research on the role of affective instability (AI) in the development of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) during childhood and adolescence in girls. BPD is a complex and debilitating disorder associated with frequent suicidal behavior, intense and chronic misery, and high rates of treatment utilization. BPD is usually first diagnosed in young adulthood and is disproportionately diagnosed in women. There are four key features of BPD: AI, interpersonal dysfunction, behavioral undercontrol, and identity disturbance. Major theories suggest that AI plays a primary role in the development of BPD and that parental response to affect is especially important in buffering or conferring risk for those girls with high levels of AI. However, little longitudinal research has been conducted on etiological mechanisms underlying the developmental course of BPD. To address this need, the training and research plan incorporates both behavioral and psychophysiological approaches in a longitudinal framework to investigate the role of AI in the development of other features of BPD in adolescent girls. The candidate will pursue training in developmental research methodology pertinent to adolescent girls, assessment of affect in the natural environment using ecological momentary assessment (EMA), and the psychophysiology of emotion under the mentorship of Dr. Paul Pilkonis, co-mentor Greg Siegle, and an expert team of consultants, including Drs. Rolf Loeber and Ronald Dahl. The proposed research will utilize EMA, psychophysiological (pupillometry), and questionnaire measures to examine associations between AI and other features of BPD in adolescent girls over time. Additionally, the impact of parental response to affect on features of BPD will be examined. The proposed research goals will be achieved in a prospective substudy of a longitudinal investigation of girls'emotional and behavioral health (Pittsburgh Girls Study: PGS). This project will recruit 110 16 year-old girls from the PGS, sampling the full range of AI severity. These training and research activities will place the candidate in a position to conduct translational research on social and biological factors in the etiology of BPD.

Public Health Relevance

The overall aim of this program of research is to use translational approaches to identify the etiological role of affective instability in the development of Borderline Personality Disorder. The identification of etiological mechanisms is crucial to create evidence-based prevention and intervention programs that can address the affective impairments specific to this population.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01MH086713-05
Application #
8606507
Study Section
Social Psychology, Personality and Interpersonal Processes Study Section (SPIP)
Program Officer
Avenevoli, Shelli A
Project Start
2010-03-29
Project End
2015-01-31
Budget Start
2014-02-01
Budget End
2015-01-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Pittsburgh
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
City
Pittsburgh
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
15213
Lazarus, Sophie A; Beardslee, Jordan; Pedersen, Sarah L et al. (2017) A Within-Person Analysis of the Association between Borderline Personality Disorder and Alcohol Use in Adolescents. J Abnorm Child Psychol 45:1157-1167
Scott, Lori N; Zalewski, Maureen; Beeney, Joseph E et al. (2017) Pupillary and affective responses to maternal feedback and the development of borderline personality disorder symptoms. Dev Psychopathol 29:1089-1104
Dixon-Gordon, Katherine L; Whalen, Diana J; Scott, Lori N et al. (2016) The Main and Interactive Effects of Maternal Interpersonal Emotion Regulation and Negative Affect on Adolescent Girls' Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms. Cognit Ther Res 40:381-393
Wright, Aidan G C; Zalewski, Maureen; Hallquist, Michael N et al. (2016) Developmental Trajectories of Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms and Psychosocial Functioning in Adolescence. J Pers Disord 30:351-72
Stepp, Stephanie D; Scott, Lori N; Jones, Neil P et al. (2016) Negative emotional reactivity as a marker of vulnerability in the development of borderline personality disorder symptoms. Dev Psychopathol 28:213-24
Scott, Lori N; Stepp, Stephanie D; Hallquist, Michael N et al. (2015) Daily shame and hostile irritability in adolescent girls with borderline personality disorder symptoms. Personal Disord 6:53-63
Hallquist, Michael N; Hipwell, Alison E; Stepp, Stephanie D (2015) Poor self-control and harsh punishment in childhood prospectively predict borderline personality symptoms in adolescent girls. J Abnorm Psychol 124:549-64
Scott, Lori N; Pilkonis, Paul A; Hipwell, Alison E et al. (2015) Non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal ideation as predictors of suicide attempts in adolescent girls: a multi-wave prospective study. Compr Psychiatry 58:1-10
Siegle, Greg J; D'Andrea, Wendy; Jones, Neil et al. (2015) Prolonged physiological reactivity and loss: Association of pupillary reactivity with negative thinking and feelings. Int J Psychophysiol 98:310-320
Zalewski, Maureen; Stepp, Stephanie D; Whalen, Diana J et al. (2015) A Qualitative Assessment of the Parenting Challenges and Treatment Needs of Mothers with Borderline Personality Disorder. J Psychother Integr 25:71-89

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