Measuring changes in symptoms relevant to borderline personality disorder following short-term treatment across partial hospital and intensive outpatient levels of care.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether measurable changes in symptoms relevant to borderline personality disorder (BPD) occur following short-term treatment across partial hospital and intensive outpatient levels of care. Preliminary data on symptom changes among patients with BPD during the first 3 months of treatment in a step-down treatment program are presented.


METHODS
Of the 42 patients who entered the BPD-specific treatment program during the 18-month study period, 36 consented to participate in the study. Patients began treatment in the partial hospitalization program (where the average length of stay is 8 weeks) and then transitioned into the intensive outpatient program. Patients completed questionnaire packets upon admission, and again at 1 month and 3 months into treatment. The questionnaires assessed BPD-relevant behaviors and symptoms, including: mood and emotion dysregulation, parasuicidality, symptom severity, and quality of life.


RESULTS
Results indicate significant and progressive improvements in mood and emotion dysregulation, parasuicidality, and symptom severity following 1 and 3 months of treatment. However, neither global functioning nor quality of life dramatically improved.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings from this study highlight the amenability of BPD-relevant symptoms to short-term treatments and demonstrate the possibility of measuring change in these symptoms within the very early phases of treatment.
Gratz
Kim L
KL
McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA. KLGratz@aol.com
Lacroce
Donna M
DM
Gunderson
John G
JG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000359:Aftercare; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011383:Progressive Patient Care; D011788:Quality of Life; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome