Examining the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality disorder: does social support matter?

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality disorder is a prominent issue in the etiological research on borderline personality disorder. This study further explored the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and the development of borderline personality features while evaluating the moderating role of a primary social support source in a sample of 290 female undergraduate students enrolled at a major southeastern university. Consistent with previous research, retrospective self-reports of childhood sexual abuse and low social support were both positively correlated with current borderline personality features. It was hypothesized that the presence of a supportive relationship at the time the childhood sexual abuse occurred would moderate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality features. This moderation hypothesis was not supported in the current study, but post-hoc analyses reveal the need to further examine how we define social support following childhood sexual abuse. This research is a stepping stone toward the prevention of borderline personality disorder following childhood sexual abuse.     

Examining the Relationship between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Borderline Personality Disorder: Does Social Support Matter?

The relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality disorder is a prominent issue in the etiological research on borderline personality disorder. This study further explored the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and the development of borderline personality features while evaluating the moderating role of a primary social support source in a sample of 290 female undergraduate students enrolled at a major southeastern university. Consistent with previous research, retrospective self-reports of childhood sexual abuse and low social support were both positively correlated with current borderline personality features. It was hypothesized that the presence of a supportive relationship at the time the childhood sexual abuse occurred would moderate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and borderline personality features. This moderation hypothesis was not supported in the current study, but post-hoc analyses reveal the need to further examine how we define social support following childhood sexual abuse. This research is a stepping stone toward the prevention of borderline personality disorder following childhood sexual abuse.     

Engaging families: a pilot evaluation to examine the utility of a health promotional resource on youth suicide prevention

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth. It’s Time to Talk about It: A Family Guide for Youth Suicide Prevention is a consumer-driven, easy to read educational print resource to guide families in efforts to prevent suicide. This study utilized a retrospective, cross-sectional survey design to evaluate if this recently developed health promotion written resource increased perceived knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and intentions to engage in suicide prevention activities. Ninety community members participated in the study. After reading the guide, participants felt significantly more knowledgeable and had significantly greater intentions to participate in suicide prevention activities. Additionally, 71% of participants reported positive attitudes due to the guide, 80% reported feeling confident in their ability to help an at-risk youth, and, overall, 94% reported that the guide was a helpful resource. The results suggest that this family guide has potential to prepare families to be the first line of defense in helping to identify and connect at-risk youths to sources of help.