[An internet based discussion board for persons with borderline personality disorders moderated health care professionals].
OBJECTIVE
From a psychiatric viewpoint the internet as a communication medium bears some risks but also has some exceptional potential. The paper reports about an internet based discussion board that specifically addressed people with borderline personality disorder and that was continuously moderated by mental health professionals.


METHODS
Discussion board participants were monitored over the course of the study with regard to the perceived helpfulness of the board discussion and psychological symptoms assessed with brief versions of the Symptom Checklist (SCL-10) and the Borderline Symptom List (BSL-15).


RESULTS
With more than 16 000 log-ins during the last month the web board found wide acceptance. The majority of the users stated, that the internet can easily reach people with mental health problems and reported that the continuous support by mental health professionals was helpful. Over the course of the project the web board users reported reductions with regard to the severity and frequency of borderline symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that the internet might be helpful in the treatment of borderline patients, especially with regard to the coordination of therapeutical interventions or as an amendment of traditional face-to-face therapies.
Habermeyer
Elmar
E
Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, Universität Rostock, Rostock. elmar.habermeyer@med.unirostock.de
Habermeyer
Viola
V
Jähn
Karl
K
Domes
Gregor
G
Nagel
Eckhard
E
Herpertz
Sabine C
SC
D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D003142:Communication; D015897:Comorbidity; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult