Abstract
The current study's main goal was to examine whether affective instability is elevated among individuals suffering from avoidant personality disorder (APD) by comparing it to the affective instability found among individuals suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) as well that found among healthy controls. Adults (N 152, aged 18-65 years) with BPD, APD, or no psychopathology participated in a 3-week computerized diary study. We examined temporal instability in negative affect using experience-sampling methods. Both within and between days, individuals with APD showed greater affective instability compared to the healthy control individuals, although less affective instability compared to individuals with BPD. The findings are in line with affective instability (or emotional lability) as a key dimension relevant across personality disorders. Additionally, they emphasize the need for research and clinical attention to affective characteristics (alongside the more readily recognized interpersonal characteristics) of APD.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 389-395 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1 Oct 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- APD
- BPD
- affective instability
- diary methods
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Clinical Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health