A scoping review of psychosocial functioning in young people with personality pathology: current evidence and methodological issues
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Background Despite evidence that personality pathology often emerges during the transition from adolescence to adulthood and leads to lasting psychosocial impairment, research on how these impairments manifest and develop in young people remains limited. Objectives This review aims to map existing literature on psychosocial functioning in individuals aged 12–25 with clinical or subclinical personality pathology, examining definitions and measures of functioning, its relationship with personality pathology, and the impact of early interventions, while identifying gaps for future research. Findings A total of 37 studies were included: 14 cross-sectional, 7 longitudinal, and 16 on early interventions. In clinical samples, overall functioning was most assessed, whereas community studies focused on specific domains. Across studies, adolescents with personality pathology showed greater psychosocial impairment than both healthy controls and other psychopathology groups, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Improvement in global psychosocial functioning has been documented across varying interventions but there was the lack of differences between treatment approaches. Conclusion While emerging evidence highlights psychosocial dysfunction in young people with personality pathology, methodological limitations hinder comparisons across studies. Developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and domain-specific assessments are needed to track psychosocial impairment alongside symptom progression in young people.
Authors: Rasa Barkauskienė, Gabrielė Skabeikytė-Norkienė, Sophia Peter, Saskia Bamberger, Katja Bertsch, Chiara De Panfilis, Joost Hutsebaut, Andres Kaera, Mickey T. Kongerslev, Ueli Kramer, Mariana Mendoza-Alvarez, Emanuele Preti, Charlotte Rosenbach, Christian Schmahl, Michaela Swales, Svenja Taubner
Institutions: Vilnius University, Heidelberg University, University Hospital Heidelberg, University of Würzburg, University of Parma, Tilburg University, Kanta-Hämeen hyvinvointialue, Region Zealand, University of Lausanne, University of Antwerp, University of Milano-Bicocca, HMU Health and Medical University Erfurt, Freie Universität Berlin, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Bangor University
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,790
OpenAlex ID: W7171840318