the relationship between emotional schemas, differentiation of self, as well as mentalization and borderline personality features in a non-clinical population

The study examines the relationship between emotional schemas, self-differentiation, mentalization, and borderline personality features in order to increase recognition of these features though they are common in a non-clinical population. this study examined 242 students of iran kharazmi university, using standard questionnaires; leahy’s emotional schemas, self-differentiation scale, reflective performance questionnaire, and borderline personality scale. we utilized statistical software spss (version 22), lisrel 8.50, mplus 7 in order to apply analytical methods such as structural equation modeling (sem). the participants were 68 men (28.1%) and 174 women (71.9%). according to the goodness of fit indices, the structural model presented fit the data well. this study found significant coefficients for all paths in the model. in addition, the coefficients determining the endogenous variables of the model were also optimal. thus, the current model could explain 53% of borderline personality features. in the analysis, emotional schemas were found to be positively and significantly associated with borderline personality features as a result of their differentiation of the self and mentalization. based on these important results, programs and clinical interventions can be developed in order to reduce borderline personality features in the normal population and to prevent borderline personality disorders.