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15 - Borderline Personality and Other Personality Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2025

By
Joel Paris
Edited by
Stephen Hupp  and
David F. Tolin
Stephen Hupp
Affiliation:
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
David F. Tolin
Affiliation:
Institute of Living
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Summary

Patients with personality disorder, especially borderline personality disorder, are challenging for psychotherapy. Yet there is good evidence that most patients can recover if offered specific forms of specialized therapy that are empirically supported treatments. The majority of research studies in personality disorder have focused on borderline personality disorder, and we have only limited data on other categories. The strongest findings for the efficacy of treatment concern dialectical behavior therapy, but other options may yield similar results. Credible components include teaching emotion regulation skills and a present-oriented focus. Some of the effects of effective therapy could be specific to underlying theory and methods, while others may depend on common factors. A sidebar discusses self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in youth.

Keywords

personality disorderborderline personality disorderdialectical behavior therapyemotion regulationpresent-oriented focuscommon factorsself-injuriousscience-based therapy
Type
Chapter
Information
Science-Based Therapy
Raising the Bar for Empirically Supported Treatments
 , pp. 265 - 281
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Useful Resources

Choi-Kain, L., Sharp, C. (2021). Handbook of good psychiatric management for adolescents with borderline personality disorder. American Psychiatric Publishing. (up-to-date book on adolescent PD)

Linehan, M. M. (2014). DBT skills training manual (2nd ed.). Guilford. (an essential guide to DBT)

Paris, J. (2020). Treatment of borderline personality disorder (2nd ed.). Guilford. (up to date summary of the research literature)

Porr, V. (2010). Overcoming borderline personality disorder: A family guide for healing and change. Oxford University Press. (best book for families and patients)

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