Are inmates’ subjective sleep problems associated with borderline personality, psychopathy, and antisocial personality independent of depression and substance dependence?

Abstract

Previous research investigating the relationship between borderline personality disorder (BPD) and sleep problems, independent of depression, has been conducted on small atypical samples with mixed results. This study extends the literature by utilizing a much larger sample and by statistically controlling for depression and substance dependence. Subjective reports of sleep problems were obtained from 513 jail inmates (70% male) incarcerated on felony charges. Symptoms of BPD were significantly associated with sleep problems even when controlling for depression. Thus, sleep problems associated with BPD cannot be attributed simply to co-morbid symptoms of depression, and substance dependence was ruled out as proximal cause for this relationship. Symptoms of depression, but not antisocial personality features, were related to sleep problems independent of substance dependence. Treatment of individuals with BPD may be more effective if sleep problems are explicitly addressed in the treatment plan.

Keywords:

• sleep problems
• depression
• substance abuse
• psychopathy
• borderline
• personality
• anti-social personality

Notes

1. De la Fuente, et al.'s (2001, 2004) study included a ‘drug washout period’, but individual differences in substance abuse were not considered.