The relationship between borderline personality disorder and number of sexual partners

In this study, we examined the number of self-reported lifetime sexual partners between those with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD). Our hypothesis was that, due to the nature of the disorder, those with BPD would exhibit a greater number of lifetime sexual partners. Using a survey methodology in a consecutive sample of internal medicine outpatients (N = 354), we administered two self-report measures for BPD (the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4 and the Self-Harm Inventory), and queried participants, "How many sexual partners have you had in your lifetime?" Correlation coefficients and one-way ANOVAs were conducted to determine the relationship between BPD and the number of sexual partners. According to BPD status with the borderline personality scale of the Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4, we found that the mean number of sexual partners among BPD-positive participants was nearly double (p < .001) that of BPD-negative participants; according to BPD status with the Self-Harm Inventory, the mean number of sexual partners among BPD-positive participants was more than double (p < .001) that of BPD-negative participants. Compared to internal medicine outpatients without BPD, those with BPD exhibit a statistically significantly greater number of sexual partners.     

Hoarding behaviors in a large college sample

Hoarding behaviors occur in many clinical syndromes but are most commonly linked to obsessive compulsive disorder. Surprisingly little empirical work has examined the nature of hoarding behaviors despite their association with significant distress and impairment. The current study examined hoarding in 563 unselected college students. Using principal components analysis, we identified four domains of hoarding behaviors as measured by the 26-item Saving Inventory-Revised: Difficulty Discarding, Acquisition Problems, Clutter, and Interference/Distress. All four domains and total hoarding behaviors were strongly related to hoarding beliefs and to obsessive compulsive (OC) symptoms. Hoarding behaviors were most strongly correlated with subscales of an OC disorder (OCD) measure assessing hoarding and obsessions and least strongly correlated with the washing subscale. Hoarding behaviors also showed significant, but more modest, correlations with social anxiety, depressive symptoms, and worry. However, worry was not found to contribute unique variance to the prediction of hoarding behaviors. Of greatest note, hoarding behaviors showed a surprisingly strong relationship with anxiety sensitivity, similar in magnitude to the relationship between hoarding and OCD symptoms. Results are interpreted and lines of future research are proposed, with particular emphasis on further elucidating the relationship between hoarding behaviors and anxiety sensitivity.     

"Not just right experiences": perfectionism,obsessive-compulsive features and general psychopathology

Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) frequently report uncomfortable sensations of things not being just right ("not just right experiences"; NJREs) and a need to ritualize until they quiet these sensations. However, very little work has been conducted to empirically examine the nature and characteristics of this phenomenon. In this paper, we present two studies that systematically examine NJREs in large undergraduate samples. In Study 1, NJREs were shown to be related to both OCD features and maladaptive domains of perfectionism. In Study 2, NJREs were again significantly related to OCD features. Further, NJREs were shown to have particularly strong relationships with specific OCD symptom clusters (e.g., checking, ordering). Finally, NJREs were significantly more strongly correlated with features of OCD than symptoms from other domains of psychopathology (e.g., social anxiety, trait anxiety, worry, depression). General conclusions are drawn, and future directions are discussed.     

Measurement of compulsive hoarding: saving inventory-revised

Four studies examined a new measure of compulsive hoarding (Saving Inventory-Revised; SI-R). Factor analysis using 139 hoarding participants identified 3 factors: difficulty discarding, excessive clutter, and excessive acquisition. Additional studies were conducted with hoarding participants, OCD participants without hoarding, community controls and an elderly sample exhibiting a range of hoarding behavior. Internal consistencies and test-retest reliabilities were good. The SI-R distinguished hoarding participants from all other non-hoarding comparison groups. The SI-R showed strong correlations with other indices and methods of measuring hoarding (beliefs, activity dysfunction from clutter, observer ratings of clutter in the home) and relatively weaker correlations with non-hoarding measures (positive and negative affect and OCD symptoms). The SI-R appears to be an appropriate instrument for assessing symptoms of compulsive hoarding in clinical and non-clinical samples.     

Opioid Substance Abuse Among Occupational Therapy Clients

This study examined opioid substance abuse among clients of occupational therapists. A sample of 500 occupational therapists, representing five targeted clinical practice areas, was randomly selected from American Occupational Therapy Association membership. Of these, a total of 182 participants ultimately responded to postal surveys. Results found one third considered opioid substance abuse a problem at their facility, and over half reported having one or more clients known to be or suspected of abusing opioids. Moreover, one in five reported having a client exhibit symptoms of overdose. Recommendations for a concerted response by the profession of occupational therapy to this nationwide epidemic are presented.     

An open trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy for compulsive hoarding

The aim of the present study was to provide preliminary data on the efficacy of a new cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for compulsive hoarding. Fourteen adults with compulsive hoarding (10 treatment completers) were seen in two specialty CBT clinics. Participants were included if they met research criteria for compulsive hoarding according to a semistructured interview, were age 18 or above, considered hoarding their main psychiatric problem, and were not receiving mental health treatment. Patients received 26 individual sessions of CBT, including frequent home visits, over a 7-12 month period between December 2003-February 2005. Primary outcome measures were the Saving Inventory-Revised (SI-R), Clutter Image Rating (CIR), and Clinician's Global Impression (CGI). Significant decreases from pre- to post-treatment were noted on the SI-R and CIR, but not the CGI-severity rating. CGI-Improvement ratings indicated that at mid-treatment, 40% (n=4) of treatment completers were rated "much improved" or "very much improved;" at post-treatment, 50% (n=5) received this rating. Adherence to homework assignments was strongly related to symptom improvement. CBT with specialized components to address problems with motivation, organizing, acquiring and removing clutter appears to be a promising intervention for compulsive hoarding, a condition traditionally thought to be resistant to treatment.     

Responding to symptoms of depression and anxiety: emotion regulation, neuroticism, and engagement in risky behaviors

The current study examined whether neuroticism, emotional regulation deficits, and/or their interaction predict increased engagement in risky behaviors following increases in symptoms of depression or anxiety over the course of 6 weeks. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that individuals who exhibited high levels of both neuroticism and emotional regulation deficits were more likely than other individuals to report increased engagement in risky behaviors following increases in symptoms of either depression or anxiety. Unexpectedly, individuals who exhibited high levels of neuroticism and adaptive emotion regulation strategies exhibited decreased engagement in risky behaviors following increases in depressive or anxious symptoms.     

`Reference' to D. Z. Phillips

International Journal for Philosophy of Religion -