Explanation of Causal Relationships Between Cognitive Flexibility and Borderline Personality Disorder Traits in Students: The Mediating Role of Problem-Solving Styles

Due to the evolution of the brain during adolescence, adolescents are more likely to experience emotional reactivity and make incorrect decisions; in addition, this period is also considered the peak period for mental illness. Consequently, the present study aimed to explain the causal relationship between cognitive flexibility and borderline personality disorder traits in adolescents: the role of problem solving styles in mediating these relationships.  

The present research method was practical in terms of purpose and descriptive correlative in terms of the data collection method, which involved the use of structural equation modeling. Approximately 352 teenagers were selected by the available sampling method from the statistical population of the study which consisted of all teenagers studying in the 5th education region of Tehran in 2018-2019. In addition, they completed the borderline personality inventory (Leichsenring, 1999), the cognitive flexibility inventory (Dennis and Vander wal, 2010), and the problem-solving styles questionnaire (Cassidy and Long, 1996). The data were analyzed using the correlation research method and structural equation model method using the SPSS 26 and AMOS 24 software packages.

The results showed the total path coefficient between cognitive flexibility and borderline personality disorder traits (β = -0.263, P < 0.01) and the path coefficient between adaptive problem-solving styles and borderline personality disorder traits (β = -0.406, P < 0.01) were negative, and the path coefficient between maladaptive problem-solving styles and borderline personality disorder traits was positive (β = 0.275, P < 0.01). Additionally, the findings indicated that cognitive flexibility indirectly affected borderline personality disorder traits through problem-solving styles (P<0.01).