About Our Research
The MAPPED Lab, led by principal investigator Erin Kaufman, PhD, uses the developmental psychopathology perspective as a framework for conceptualizing and studying self-inflicted injury (SII), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and suicide. The goal of their work is to advance research focused on improving health outcomes for those vulnerable to these complex conditions and outcomes.
Multimodal Approaches to Pathogenic Personality and Emotions Development (MAPPED) Lab
Self-inflicted injury (SII), borderline personality disorder (BPD), and suicide are associated with profound emotional suffering and financial burden for affected individuals, their families, communities, and society. Individuals with BPD are highly stigmatized, and many clinicians are reluctant to accept acutely suicidal clients, resulting in significant barriers to treatment.
At the broadest level, we study how social contexts interact with biologically-mediated regulatory processes to eventuate in SII and BPD. We are particularly invested in (1) differentiating among indicators of SII, BPD, and suicide in order to aid in early identification and prevention, and (2) facilitating effective treatment by evaluating intervention mechanisms.
Learn more about our research
Project 1
Real-Time Experiences With Sleep Training (REST) Study
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is typically a long-lasting and impairing mental disorder marked by significant interpersonal problems, severe emotion dysregulation, and impulsivity. Approximately 69% to 80% of persons with this condition engage in self-injurious behavior, and as many as 9% die by suicide.
COLLABORATORS
For many, BPD first emerges in adolescence. Although effective treatments are available for youth BPD, these are typically expensive, lengthy, and require a high degree of commitment from both therapists and clients. Identifying ways that we can optimize BPD treatment and prevention is an important public health priority.
One area for further research is the relationship between sleep and BPD. Disrupted sleep is closely linked to defining characteristics of BPD such as higher sensitivity and reactivity to stress, behavioral impulsivity, interpersonal dysfunction, and poor emotion regulation. Studies have documented a range of sleep disturbances among BPD samples. Importantly, sleep problems may worsen BPD symptom course and chronicity, heighten risk of suicide, and interfere with cognitive processes that are vital to behavioral intervention (e.g., memory consolidation, and attentional processes). This project is designed to gain a greater understanding of sleep problems in BPD may help enrich treatment protocols, which currently place limited emphasis on sleep difficulties.
Sponsored by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (BBRF)
Project 2
Examining Mechanisms of Change in Adolescent Self-Inflicted Injury
Suicide is a global public health concern that marks an extreme along a spectrum of self-inflicted injury (SII) and is the leading cause of death among adolescents. Although we have evidence-based interventions for youth SII, mechanisms of change are underexplored, and suicide rates have not appreciably declined. Efficacious treatments like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) are intensive, expensive, and require extensive therapist training, making it inaccessible for many adolescents in need. We also lack vital data on whether and how adolescents apply and retain therapeutic skills in daily life. This project will assess the potency of two key intervention mechanisms across behavioral, physiological and brain-based indices, as well examine the translation of skills use to daily life.
Sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
COLLABORATORS
Principal Investigator
Erin A. Kaufman, PhD
Dr. Kaufman's research incorporates diverse methodologies including biological, self- and informant-report, behavioral, and ecological momentary assessments.
Lab members
Selected Publications
- Meddaoui, B*., Iddiols, B. C*., & Kaufman, E. A. (2023). The Controllability of Suicidal Thoughts (CoST) Scale: Development, factor structure, and initial validation. Psychological Assessment, 35(10), 880-887. https://doi-org.proxy1.lib.uwo.ca/10.1037/pas0001271
- Chung, J*. Heaks*, M., & Kaufman, E. A. (2023). The Role of Cognitive Flexibility in Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors: A Systematic Review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/cps0000163
- Kaufman, E. A., Clerke, A.*, Meddaoui, B.* (2023). Translating core intervention strategies into action: Interpersonal validation among self-injuring adolescents and their mothers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(1),105-125. doi: 10.1002/jclp.23393
- Kaufman, E. A., Meddaoui, B.*, Seymour, N. L. & Victor, S. E. (2022). The roles of minority stress and thwarted belongingness in suicidal ideation among cisgender and transgender/non-binary LGBTQ+ individuals. Achieves of Suicide Research. 8,1-16. doi: 10.1080/13811118.2022.2127385.
- Kaufman, E. A., Beeney, J E., & Stepp, S. D. (2022). Self-Report Response Style Bias and Borderline Personality Pathology. Current Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03122-x
- Victor, S. E., Schleider, J. E., Ammerman, B. A., Bradford D. E., Devendorf, A. R., Gunaydin6, L. A.,
Hallion, L. S., Kaufman, E. A., Lewis, S. P. & Stage, D. L. (2022). Leveraging the Strengths of Psychologists with Lived Experience of Psychopathology. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 17(6), 1624-1632. doi: 10.1177/17456916211072826 - Kaufman, E. A., Graves, J. L., Wallace, M. L., Lazarus, S. A., Stepp, S. D., & Pedersen, S. L. (2021). Associations between physiological and self-reported indices of emotion dysregulation across varying levels of alcohol use among individuals with and without borderline personality disorder. Biological Psychology, 160. doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108044
Contact
Erin A. Kaufman, PhD
Principal Investigator
MAPPED Lab email