title: Treatment outcome for chronic PTSD among female assault victims with borderline personality characteristics: a preliminary examination.
abstract: The present study examined the effect of the presence of borderline personality disorder characteristics (BPC) on patients' responses to cognitive behavioral treatment for chronic PTSD. Seventy-two female victims of sexual and non-sexual assault were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions: prolonged exposure (PE), stress inoculation training (SIT), combined treatment (PE/SIT), and wait list control (WL). Treatment consisted of nine bi-weekly individual sessions. Seventeen percent of the patients met full (10%) or partial criteria (7%) for borderline personality disorder. A greater number of patients with BPC reported sexual assault in childhood compared to those without the symptomatology. Patients with BPC also reported more pre-treatment anger. In general, those with BPC benefited significantly from treatment, although at post-treatment, they were less likely to achieve good end-state functioning than those without such symptomatology. The relationship between BPC and treatment response will be discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, 11100 Euclid Ave., Hanna Pavilion, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA. ncf2@po.cwru.edu
authors.forename: Norah C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Feeny
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zoellner
authors.forename: Edna B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Foa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012742:Sex Offenses; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*