title: The behavioral treatment of self-starvation and severe self-injury in a patient with borderline personality disorder.
abstract: The successful treatment by behavioral methods of self-starvation and self-injury in a 35-year-old psychiatric in-patient, with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, is described. An individualized program using positive and negative reinforcers to increase food and fluid intake was used, while a token economy therapeutic milieu with time out was used to decrease acts of self-injury and aggression. Progress in treatment generalized to a non-secure treatment environment, and was maintained at an 8-month follow-up. The study illustrates the differential response of active and passive self injurious behaviors to group-based and individual treatments, respectively.
authors.affiliation: St. Andrew's Hospital, Northampton, U.K.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bloxham
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alderman
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Hollin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000523:psychology; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010343:Patient Admission; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D013217:Starvation / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D014040:Token Economy
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs