title: A dialectical behavior therapy program for people with an eating disorder and borderline personality disorder--description and outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and evaluate a full dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program for people with comorbid eating disorder and borderline personality disorder. The program included a novel skills training module written especially for eating-disordered patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The program was run for 18 months. Days in hospital and major acts of self-harm were counted for the 18 months before and after DBT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no dropouts from the program. The patients seemed to benefit. Most patients were neither eating disordered nor self-harming at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Full DBT is an expensive and demanding treatment but deserves consideration for patients with an eating disorder and co-morbid borderline personality disorder and self-harm. There is a need for a more systematic and thorough evaluation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Leicester Warwick Medical School, Brandon Mental Health Unit, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicester LE5 4PW, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Birchall
authors.forename: Sadhana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Damani
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gatward
authors.forename: Lesley
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McGrain
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015897:Comorbidity; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D016896:Treatment Outcome