Time-limited psychodynamic psychotherapy and venlaxafine among acutely suicidal bordeline patients

Abstract

To further investigate time-limited psychoanalytic psychotherapy among acutely suicidal borderline patients we investigated 30 subject aged 18-60 who had been referred to the emergency room of a community hospital with IPDE (International Personality Disorders Examination) borderline personality disorder. Additional inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of major depression, current suicidal attempt, requiring in-patient treatment at medical emergency room discharge and the accptance to give informed consent. Psychotic symptoms, bipolar disorder and severe substance dependence were exclusion criteria. At hospital discharge these patients were assignet to 3-month ambulatory treatment with a combination

Of Venlaxafine and time-limited psychoanalytic psychotherapy. We also studied the 3-months outcome of a comparison group of 30 IPDE borderline patients meeting the same inclusion/exclusion criteria who had been assigned, at acute hospitalisation discharge to treatment as usual. The results indicated that assignment to ambulatory combination treatment with Venlaxafine and psychoanalitic psychotherapy in associated with good compliance, fair 3-month outcome and low-relapse/repetition rates. Ambulatory combination treatment may be a cost-effective alternative to residential treatment among borderline patients with suicidal crises.