The role of empathy in the relationship between childhood trauma and borderline personality tendencies in male offenders

Childhood trauma and empathy deficits have been found to be related to borderline personality disorder (BPD), but the mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of empathy in male offenders with BPD tendencies and to test its mediating role in the relatio...

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Published inThe journal of forensic psychiatry & psychology Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 679 - 696
Main Authors Wang, Ya-Li, Guo, Jian-Nan, Yin, Xun-Bao, Zhang, Qin, Dong, Li-Yuan, Wang, Kai, Wang, Yan-Yu
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 03.09.2021
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Adverse childhood experiences
Borderline personality disorder
Child abuse & neglect
Childhood
childhood trauma
Chinese languages
Cognition
Computerization
Empathy
Habitual offenders
Males
Offenders
Personality disorders
Questionnaires
Theory of mind
Trauma
Variance analysis
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Summary:Childhood trauma and empathy deficits have been found to be related to borderline personality disorder (BPD), but the mechanisms of action remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of empathy in male offenders with BPD tendencies and to test its mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and BPD tendencies. Two hundred and fifty-seven male offenders and 43 male nonoffender controls completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short From (CTQ-SF), the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy (QCAE) and the Chinese version of the computerized Yoni Task. ANOVA, Mixed-model ANOVAs and the PROCESS macro were used to analyze the inventory data and task performances. Compared to male offenders without BPD tendencies and nonoffender controls, offenders with BPD tendencies showed more severe childhood abuse, lower cognitive empathy and poorer task performances in second-order cognitive and second-order affective theory of mind. Furthermore, cognitive empathy was found to play a mediating role in the relationship between childhood trauma and BPD tendencies. Our findings indicate the effects of childhood trauma and empathy impairments on BPD and suggest the possible application value of the precision empathy ability training in the intervention of offenders with BPD.
ISSN:1478-9949
1478-9957
DOI:10.1080/14789949.2021.1886314