Identifying borderline traits in a Brazilian community sample using the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 factors

Abstract Objective This study aimed to examine the discriminative capacity of the Dimensional Clinical Personality Inventory 2 (IDCP-2) factors for identifying individuals with elevated borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits within a Brazilian community sample while proposing an optimal cutoff score for distinguishing high BPD trait levels. Methods The participant cohort consisted of 1,469 adults who completed assessments, including the Level of Personality Functioning Scale – Brief Form 2.0 (LPFS), the Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) (PID-5), the IDCP-2, and the Structured Clinical Interview for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) – Personality Questionnaire (PQ-SCID-II). We categorized participants into three groups utilizing the traits outlined in the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD) from DSM-5 Section III. Furthermore, latent profile analysis based on PID-5 facets revealed the existence of three empirically derived profiles. Results Our findings demonstrate that IDCP-2 factors exhibited substantial discriminative power, marked by large effect sizes across most factors. To minimize false negatives, we suggest a conservative cutoff score of 22 as the most effective threshold for identifying individuals with high levels of BPD traits. Conclusion The BPD score generated from IDCP-2 factors holds significant promise in clinical practice, offering valuable insights into a patient’s propensity to exhibit a BPD profile and providing a comprehensive clinical profile.