MATERNAL TRANSMISSION OF BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER SYMPTOMS IN THE COMMUNITY-BASED GREIFSWALD FAMILY STUDY

The authors longitudinally investigated the familial transmission of mothers' BPD symptoms to their offspring, taking maternal depression into consideration. The sample consisted of 323 offspring and their mothers from the community-based Greifswald Family Study. These families were examined for the first time when the children were about 15 years old (T0), and again 5 years later (T1), using self-ratings and interviews. Regression analyses revealed that maternal BPD symptoms and depression at T0 were significant predictors of a number of BPD criteria that offspring met at T1. Furthermore, the analyses also predicted offspring's general psychopathology. In sum, the authors' findings provide evidence for familial aggregation of BPD symptoms and heightened levels of general psychopathology in offspring of mothers with high levels of BPD features, pointing to the need for providing early intervention for this high-risk group.