1. Objectifs

Intentions :
Ce document propose un modèle évolutif de psychopathologies. Plus spécifiquement, il s’intéresse aux interactions entre les gènes et l’environnement, incluant la relation gène-environnement familial. Ce modèle peut être appliqué au trouble de la personnalité limite. Il permet également de conceptualiser les mécanismes d’une thérapie efficace pour ce trouble.

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
Données documentaires diverses

Type de traitement des données :
Réflexion critique

3. Résumé

The model of differential susceptibility to environment «hypothesizes a relationship between genes and environment that is not simply additive or subtractive but that determines how environmental factors shape pathological outcomes depending on an individual’s plasticity to the environment. […] Some traits associated with a higher risk of developing BPD [borderline personality disorder] or higher levels of BPD symptoms could lead to either positive or negative outcomes. A good example concerns emotional dysregulation.» (p. 377) The authors point out that a «parent-child relationship promoting self-regulatory capacity may be particularly consequential for children high on negative emotionality, with a particularly sensitive and responsive parenting style leading to superior developmental outcomes. As temperamental negative emotionality has already been shown to be associated with BPD, it could be tested as an early susceptibility factor for later BPD symptoms. […] Impulsivity, the second core trait behind BPD, manifested by self-harm, parasuicidal actions, and substance use, is the feature that brings most patients to clinical attention. It has also been shown that the environment has a key role to play in the expression of impulsivity, as BPD patients who experience multiple childhood adversities are more likely to have multiple impulsive suicide attempts. […] The third core characteristic of BPD, disturbed relationships, has traditionally been conceptualized as determined by the environment. It has been argued in recent years, however, that this characteristic could be central to the disorder and have phenotypic origins.» (p. 378)