Comparison of object relationships, schema modes, and childhood trauma in individuals with borderline and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders symptoms

This study aimed to compare schema modes, childhood trauma, and object relationships in individuals with borderline personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. The research method was causal-comparative and the statistical population of this study included all people who were referred to public and private counseling centers in Tehran city in 2019, of whom 90 people with borderline personality symptoms and 90 people with obsessive-compulsive symptoms were selected by convenience sampling method. Research tools include Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (1983) (MCMI); Schema Mode Inventory by Lobbestael et al. (2010) (SMI); Childhood Trauma Questionnaire by Bernstein et al. (1994) (CTQ) and Bell Object Relations and Reality Testing Inventory (1986) (BORRTI). Data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Individuals with borderline personality disorder symptoms in the components of angry child mode (P<0.05), impulsive child mode (P<0.01), undisciplined child mode (P<0.05), self-aggrandizer mode (P<0.01), emotional abuse (P<0.05), emotional neglect (P<0.01), egocentricity (P<0.05) and insecure attachment (P<0.01) obtained higher mean scores than people with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms in the components of detached protector mode (P<0.01), punishing parent mode (P<0.05), and demanding parent mode (P<0.01), and social incompetence (P<0.01) obtained higher mean scores than people with borderline disorder symptoms. Based on the present study results, it seems that object relationships, schema modes, and childhood traumas play a role in the formation of borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality symptoms.