Structural Equation Modeling of Borderline Personality Organization and Object Relations: Investigating the Mediator Role of Defense Mechanisms

Borderline personality organization is one of Kernberg's personality levels that is characterized by Diffused Identity and basic defense mechanisms such as spiliting. The present study aimed to explain the border personality organization based on the initial object relations and defense mechanisms. The research method was a descriptive and correlational. The statistical population included all undergraduate and graduate students of Tehran universities in the academic year 2021-22, for this purpose, 412 of these students were selected using the available sampling method. In order to collect data, Participants completed the Object Relations Questionnaire, The Kernberg Personality Inventory Questionnaire (IPO), and Defense Mechanisms Scale (DSQ-40). Structural equation modeling was used. The results showed that object relations was directly explained 0.22% of the dispersion of the scores of Borderline Personality Organization and in addition, resilience was explained 0.38% of the borderline personality Organization . In addition, the results of this study, estimating the structural model in which the object relations as an independent variable and defense mechanisms were entered the model as mediator variables, showed that this model explains 0.22% of the borderline personality Organization. Therefore, this research can be concluded that the borderline personality organization is directly and indirectly was explained negatively by object relations through defense mechanisms.Keywords: Primary Object Relations, Borderline Personality Organization, Defense Mechanism,