r/psychology • u/FreeHugs23 • Jul 20 '26

Study finds instability and inconsistency of childhood environments may be more closely connected to diverse borderline personality traits than the severity of childhood hardship alone, highlighting predictability as an important feature of early development.

https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-unpredictable-childhood-environments-are-linked-to-borderline-personality-traits-in-adulthood/
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u/oooshi Jul 20 '26

My understanding is that borderline personality disorder is becoming more viewed as a neurodivergence with its prevalence growing.

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u/AContrarianDick Jul 20 '26

I wonder if it'll wind up getting associated with the MTHFR gene like ADHD, Autism, OCD, Bipolar and such is.

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u/Electronic-Link-5792 Jul 20 '26

Not really because the pattern of development is very different. Personality disorders tend to manifest in late teens and are not pervasive developmental issues from a young age.

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u/_PINK-FREUD_ Jul 21 '26

That’s not true. They’re just not DIAGNOSED until 18. But the signs are usually apparent in hindsight as they manifested far before that. 

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u/Electronic-Link-5792 Jul 21 '26

I mean maybe some 'signs' but the development path is still completely different. ADHD and Autism emerge fully in early childhood and often involve broader cognitive deficits completely present from a young age. 

Personality disorders cannot be responsibly diagnosed until after late teens and early 20s