Gender aspects in the planning of psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to generate hypotheses for examining gender-specific variables with predictive value for the planning of successful psychotherapy in patients with borderline personality disorder.


METHODS
Anxiety, aggression, interpersonal problems, locus of control and self-concept were investigated in twenty psychiatric inpatients before and after psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy lasting for six weeks.


RESULTS
Women in gender-matched patient-therapist dyads gained insight into relationships between anxiety, aggression and interpersonal problems to the extent that they experienced them as ego-syntonic problems and as a concern of their own self-concept, and were therefore able to engage in further outpatient psychotherapy. Men more often remained in regressive resistance and in narcissistically boosted conviction of self-efficacy, with simultaneous persistence of aggression and non-engagement in further psychotherapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The results underline the importance of considering gender role stereotypes and suggest the significance of gender-sensitive attitudes in dealing with aggression and exploring attachment styles and reflective functioning.
Löffler-Stastka
Henriette
H
Department of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria, henriette.loeffler-stastka@meduniwien.ac.at.
Ponocny-Seliger
Elisabeth
E
Meissel
Theodor
T
Springer-Kremser
Marianne
M
D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D011379:Prognosis; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome