Psychological adjustment mediating the relationship between childhood maltreatment and borderline personality features among Chinese early adolescents.

Background: A strong link between childhood maltreatment (CM) and borderline personality features (BPF) has been consistently demonstrated. However, little is known about the role of psychological adjustment (PA) as a mediator of this relationship. The purpose of the study was to explore the mediating role of PA in the CM-BPF linkage in a large sample of early adolescents.

Methods: A total of 5724 students (mean age = 13.5, SD = 1.0) were recruited from three middle schools by using the multistage random cluster sampling method in Anhui Province, China. Participants were required to complete self-report questionnaires regarding CM experience, self-perceived PA and BPF. Mediation analyses were computed via structural equation modelling.

Results: CM victimization was positively associated with BPF, and individuals with lower levels of PA were more likely to present with BPF. Mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on BPF via PA (effect = 0.047, 95 % CI: 0.035, 0.058).

Limitation: The cross-sectional design of this study did not allow testing causality. The retrospective investigation of CM history could cause recall bias.

Conclusions: PA partially mediates the relationship between CM and BPF. These findings have important implications for considering PA as a protective factor in this relationship.