Effects of child abuse history on borderline personality traits, negative life events, and depression: a study among a university student population in Japan.

To simultaneously examine the impact of childhood abuse history on borderline personality traits, negative life events, and depression, undergraduate students (N=243) were studied by questionnaire surveys with one week intervals. Neglect and emotional abuse as well as sexual maltreatment predicted borderline personality traits and baseline depression. Baseline depression as well as the impact of negative life events occurring the week prior predicted depression a week later. However, after considering the baseline depression level, child abuse history failed to predict the follow-up depression level. Borderline personality traits did not moderate these findings. Childhood emotional and sexual abuse history may influence depression and borderline personality traits.