title: [Diagnosis and treatment of borderline personality disorder: a professionals' survey].
abstract: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a frequent mental disorder whose affected present high levels of stress and suffering. Diverse diagnostic criteria exist for this disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of our study was to establish which are the most sensitive symptoms to diagnose BPD at the present time together with the expectations and treatments of choice of mental health professionals of Buenos Aires city.
  
  
  METHODS
  A voluntary auto survey was completed by 116 mental health professionals from private and public institutes of Buenos Aires city .
  
  
  RESULTS
  Impulsivity, affective instability and boredom or emptiness were the symptoms referred as the most important to make the diagnosis of BPD. More than half of the people polled reported that the DSM IV was useless to establish the diagnosis of this disorder. Individual psychoanalytic psychotherapy was chosen by the majority of the surveyed as the most important treatment for these patients. Mood stabilizers are the drugs of choice for the pharmacological treatment of impulsivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is important to elaborate in our country diagnostic criteria and treatment guidelines that consider the knowledge and local experience with these patients.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psiquiatría, Ineba, Guardia Vieja 4435 C1192AAW, Buenos Aires, Argentina. eleiderman@ineba.net
authors.forename: Eduardo Adrián
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Leiderman
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Buchovsky
authors.forename: Martín
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nemirovsky
authors.forename: Mariana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pavlosvsky
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lipovetzky
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires