Table 1.
Sample characteristics
| HC (N = 32) |
BPD (N = 32) |
test statistics | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| age | 28.19 (8.14) | 29.56 (13.07) | t = 0.51 | 0.616 |
| sex assigned by birth | 84.4% female | 84.4% female | χ2 = 0 | 1.000 |
| relationship | 53.13% single | 62.5% single | χ2 = 0.26 | 0.613 |
| educational levela | Fisher’s exact test, two-sided | 0.526 | ||
| low | 0% | 9.38% | ||
| intermediate | 31.25% | 31.25% | ||
| high | 68.75% | 59.38% | ||
| occupation | Fisher’s exact test, two-sided | < 0.001 | ||
| unemployed | 3.13% | 34.38% | ||
| student/pupil | 53.13% | 37.50% | ||
| (self-) employed | 43.75% | 28.13% | ||
| current treatment | 0% | 90.63% | Fisher’s exact test, two-sided | < 0.001 |
| Borderline features (PAI-BOR) | 19.59 (6.71) | 52.09 (7.92) | t = 17.71, d = 4.43 | < 0.001 |
| Borderline symptoms (BSL23) | 0.17 (0.16) | 2.03 (0.95) | t = 10.81, d = 2.75 | < 0.001 |
| Depressive symptoms (BDI II) | 4.69 (4.12) | 33.66 (11.31) | t = 13.61, d = 3.40 | < 0.001 |
| Lonelinessb (ULS) | 2.30 (0.61) | 3.42 (0.62) | t = 7.17, d = 1.82 | < 0.001 |
| Self-esteem (RSQ) | 25.09 (6.68) | 10.50 (4.76) | t = -13.72, d = -3.43 | < 0.001 |
| Rejection sensitivityb (RSQ) | 6.21 (3.05) | 15.90 (8.21) | t = 6.10, d = 1.56 | < 0.001 |
| Internal negativeb (ASF-E) | 64.13 (10.41) | 81.84 (14.81) | t = 5.48, d = 1.39 | < 0.001 |
| Internal positiveb (ASF-E) | 75.75 (8.60) | 56.68 (15.09) | t = -6.14, d = -1.57 | < 0.001 |
| ACE severityb (CTQ-SF) | 32.22 (9.34) | 59.16 (18.75) | t = 7.18, d = 1.83 | < 0.001 |
a = refers to the German school qualification system, low = less than 10 years of school education, intermediate = 10 years of school education, high = 12–13 years of school education. b = missing data of one BPD participant, PAI-BOR Personality Assessment Inventory Borderline Scale, BSL23 Borderline Symptom List, BDI II Beck Depression Inventory, ULS UCLA Loneliness Scale, RSQ Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire, ASF-E attributional style Questionnaire, CTQ-SF Childhood Trauma Questionnaire