The Structural Model of Childhood Trauma, Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies and Borderline Personality symptoms

Exposure to traumatic events prior to and/or during the puberty has negative consequences to personality development and is considered as an important risk factor for borderline personality disorder. The aim of this study was to determine the mediating role of positive and negative cognitive emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality symptoms. Applying a descriptive correlational method among the residents of Karaj 7th region in the summer 2017 a total sample of n=300 person were chosen on a randomly basis. The study tools included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Cognitive Emotion Regulation questionnaire (CERQ), and Borderline Symptom List (BSL). Data were analyzed using a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The obtained fitness indices supported an acceptable fitness to the model. A total path coefficient were observed for the childhood trauma and borderline personality symptoms (β=0.544, P<0.01). A direct path coefficient also revealed for the negative cognitive emotional regulation strategies and borderline personality symptoms as well (β=0.513, P<0.01). An indirect path coefficient was also evident for the childhood trauma and borderline personality symptoms (β=0.234, P<0.01). It seems that childhood trauma prevent the development of healthy cognitive-emotional regulation capabilities. Negative affect in the borderline patients triggers the negative emotional strategies such as  rumination, which create severe self-blame and other-blame thinking that eventually leads to borderline symptoms.