6.133 SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIOR, IMPULSIVE AGGRESSION, AND DECREASED FAMILY COHESION IN BIPOLAR YOUTH: PROBABLE DETERMINANTS OF EMERGING BORDERLINE PERSONALITY

Objectives: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and adult Bipolar Disorder (BD) are often diagnosed as comorbid disorders in adults and adolescents. These disorders furthermore share common correlates and risk factors. This study aims to examine the predictors that may increase the likelihood of borderline features in youth with BD. Methods: Thirty participants (M:16, F:14), aged 7-17 years, inclusive (Mean Age 12.95 ± 3.08 years) were recruited in an outpatient specialty mood disorders clinic. Participants met DSM-IV-TR criteria for BD I (n=20) and BD II (n=3). Also, the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth (COBY) criteria was used to establish the BD-Not Otherwise Specified diagnosis (n=7). A battery of validated measures, including the 24-item self-report Borderline Personality Features Scale (BPFS) was administered to obtain cross-sectional data from study participants and their primary caregiver. Multivariable linear regression analyses examined associations between BPFS (total and sub-scale) scores and various psychopathology-related predictor variables, while adjusting for age, race, primary BD diagnosis and the interval between completion of the BPFS and other predictor variables. Results: Significant positive associations were seen between total score of BPFS Child Version and total score of the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire (BPAQ) (β=0.35, p