How friendships in childhood may relate to future personality issues.

Dysfunctional behavior with friends during middle childhood as a precursor to borderline personality pathology - Supplement

NIH-funded research University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11062145

This study is looking at how kids' friendships might affect their chances of developing borderline personality disorder as they grow up, and it's for children aged 6 to 11 and their moms to help us learn more about early signs of mental health challenges.

Quick facts

Grant typeCareer grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Pittsburgh, United States)
Project IDNIH-11062145 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This research investigates the relationship between children's friendships and the potential development of borderline personality disorder as they grow older. It focuses on children aged 6 to 11 years and aims to collect data from child-friend pairs along with their mothers. The study will involve recruiting participants and gathering information through in-person interactions, which will help understand early behavioral patterns that could indicate future mental health challenges. The research is designed to continue smoothly even during critical life events for the lead researcher.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 6 to 11 years who have friendships and their mothers.

Not a fit: Children outside the age range of 6 to 11 years or those without established friendships may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to early interventions that help prevent the development of borderline personality disorder in children.

How similar studies have performed: Other research has shown promising results in understanding childhood behaviors as precursors to later personality disorders, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.

Where this research is happening

Pittsburgh, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Borderline Personality DisorderDiseaseDisorder
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.