How to Assess Recovery in Borderline Personality Disorder: Psychosocial Functioning and Satisfaction With Life in a Sample of Former DBT Study Patients

Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST): validity and reliability in adolescent and young adults with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

BACKGROUND

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) significantly impacts individuals, causing substantial distress and impairing social, occupational, and other critical areas of functioning. Current tools to assess functioning in BPD are limited and often lack validation in BPD-specific populations. Furthermore, available instruments focus primarily on global functioning rather than specific areas such as cognitive functioning or interpersonal relationships. This study aims to validate the Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST) in adolescents and young adults with BPD in a Spanish population.

METHODS

An observational study was conducted with 216 BPD patients and 107 healthy controls (HC) matched by age and sex. Participants were assessed using the FAST, and additional clinical measures were applied. Internal consistency, inter-rater reliability, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, discriminant validity through ROC analysis, and logistic regression were performed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the FAST. Additionally, sensitivity to change was assessed to determine the FAST's responsiveness to clinical improvements.

RESULTS

The FAST demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.869) and a six-factor structure. Inter-rater reliability analysis indicated excellent agreement (ICC=0.997, 95 % CI=0.991-0.999). The tool showed high discriminant capacity between BPD patients and HC (AUC=0.947), with a cutoff score of >11 achieving 88 % sensitivity and 90.7 % specificity. Sensitivity to change analyses in a subgroup of 35 BPD patients revealed significant effect sizes (ES=-0.98), supporting the FAST's ability to detect functional improvements over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The FAST is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing psychosocial functioning in adolescents and young adults with BPD.

Integrating Perspectives of Patients, Their Significant Others, and Therapists on Recovery From Personality Disorders: A Mixed-Methods Study

Patients with personality disorders (PDs) often struggle in life after treatment, even when symptomatic remission is achieved. The question arises of whether current outcome measurements are relevant for patients and people around them. To address this, we used concept mapping, a mixed-method approach, to construct a framework of recovery from the perspectives of patients, their significant others, and therapists (n = 39). Participants brainstormed what recovery involved and then prioritied and clustered these ideas (n = 61). Data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, resulting in 45 statements grouped into four themes: understanding and recognizing yourself, regulating emotions, giving direction to your life, and connecting with others. Understanding and recognizing yourself was identified as the most important area of change. This study offers an evidence-based framework for recovery in PD, providing a foundation for developing outcome measurements that reflect the needs of patients and their significant others beyond symptom reduction.

What predicts psychosocial functioning in borderline personality disorder? Investigating the association with reflective functioning

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to investigate factors associated with functioning in participants with and without borderline personality disorder (BPD). In particular, we were interested whether mentalizing and related social cognitive capacities, as factors of internal functioning, are important in predicting psychosocial functioning, in addition to other psychopathological and sociodemographic factors.

METHOD

This is a cross-sectional study with N = 53 right-handed females with and without BPD, without significant differences in age, IQ, and socioeconomic status, who completed semi-structured diagnostic and self-report measures of social cognition. Mentalizing was assessed using the Reflective Functioning Scale based on transcribed Adult Attachment Interviews. A regularized regression with the elastic net penalty was deployed to investigate whether mentalizing and social cognition predict psychosocial functioning.

RESULTS

Borderline personality disorder symptom severity, sexual abuse trauma, and social and socio-economic factors ranked as the most important variables in predicting psychosocial functioning, while reflective functioning (RF) was somewhat less important in the prediction, social cognitive functioning and sociodemographic variables were least important.

CONCLUSIONS

Borderline personality disorder symptom severity was most important in determining functional impairment, alongside trauma related to sexual abuse as well as social and socio-economic factors. These findings verify that BPD symptoms themselves most robustly predict functional impairment, followed by history of sexual abuse, then contextual factors (e.g. housing, financial, physical health), and then RF. These results lend marginal support to the conceptualization that mentalizing may enhance psychosocial functioning by facilitating social learning, but emphasize symptom reduction and stabilization of life context as key intervention targets.

Long-lasting symptoms in borderline personality disorder: Defining an emergent population with differential clinical and therapeutic features

Although the clinical symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) tend to remit over time, a substantial proportion continues to present "long-lasting symptoms" (LLS). This term refers to individuals who present some degree of clinical improvement, but low mood, feelings of emptiness, and poor psychosocial adjustment typically persist. The aim of this study was to compare the sociodemographic, clinical, and therapeutic variables in individuals with BPD with and without LLS. A total of 620 participants with BPD were included and subdivided into two groups: non-LLS group (n = 549, mean age = 28.02 [6.1] and range, 18-40 years) and LLS group (n = 71, mean age = 44.69 [3.6] and range, 41-56 years). The groups were compared in sociodemographic, clinical, and drug treatment characteristics. We also evaluated the impact of dialectical behavioral therapy-skills training (DBT-ST) on polypharmacy. The prevalence of individuals with long-lasting BPD symptoms increased significantly over a 20-year period (from <1% to 16%). The LLS group was characterized by less clinical severity, higher comorbidity with affective disorders but lower comorbidity with eating disorders, more disability, and more medication taking. Patients with LLS who received DBT-ST experienced a significant decrease in the use of benzodiazepines and the number of medications prescribed compared with those who did not receive DBT-ST. Clinicians should be aware of the specific features of older patients with BPD in order to better identify and address their specific therapeutic needs.

Symptom domains and psychosocial functioning in borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is often characterized by severe functional impairment, even after a decrease in symptoms. A comprehensive understanding of psychosocial functioning in BPD is necessary to tailor treatment offer, which should address relevant aspects of daily life. The aims of the present study are to (1) conduct a cross-sectional comparison of functioning of a group with BPD and a non-BPD clinical comparison group at service entry, and to (2) assess the relationship between intensity of BPD symptom domains and psychosocial functioning.

METHODS

The sample consists of N = 65 participants with BPD and N = 57 participants from the clinical comparison group without BPD (non-BPD group). The Revised Borderline Follow-up Interview (BFI-R) was used to evaluate psychosocial functioning and the Revised Diagnostic Interview for Borderlines (DIB-R) to assess BPD symptoms. Linear, logistic, and multinomial regression models were run separately for each aspect of functioning as a function of BPD status or BPD symptom domains.

RESULTS

Only 23% of participants in the BPD group fulfilled criteria for good overall psychosocial functioning, compared to 53% in the non-BPD group. Furthermore, participants in the BPD group were less likely to have completed a high number of years of education, to work consistently, to be financially independent, to be in a cohabiting relationship and have a good relationship with parents. In addition, various links were identified between BPD symptom domains and functional impairments.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with prior research, the main impairments in functioning in the BPD group are found in the educational and vocational domains. Though some domains show impairment, others, like friendships, may act as potential resources. Further investigation on the relationships with symptom domains is required.

Life experienced as worth living and beyond: a qualitative study of the pathways to recovery and flourishing amongst individuals treated for borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is recognized as a leading evidence-based treatment, effective in reducing symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as co-occurring clinical syndromes. However, symptom remission may not be the same as a life experienced as worth living. The purpose of the study was to understand, from the perspective of individuals with lived experience, the concepts of recovery, life experienced as worth living and flourishing after treatment for BPD, and to describe the pathways to wellness after symptom remission.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine adult women previously diagnosed with BPD, co-occurring clinical syndromes and severe self-harm behaviour who self-identified as recovered for a minimum of two years, recruited from a network for individuals with lived experience. The average duration of recovery was 5.7 years with a range from 2 to 10 + years. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four main themes and 14 subthemes were generated from our analyses. Main themes indicated that loved ones helped recovery and to create a life worth living, that participants identified as recovered and as healthy and beyond, and that becoming well is a long process associated in part with reclaiming a healthy identity. Participants defined recovery as separate but related to a life worth living, which in turn was separate but related to being healthy and having lives they described as being beyond health and well-being. The wellness process was described as lengthy and non-linear, including setbacks that with time no longer derailed daily life. A proposed theoretical model depicting the wellness process over time from symptom remission to the experience of a life beyond health and wellness is presented.

CONCLUSIONS

This qualitative study contributes knowledge of what a life experienced as worth living means, as well as how wellness progressed into flourishing for some participants within a sample of individuals with lived experience. Our findings may inform treatment development that targets more than symptom reduction, which in turn may shorten trajectories from symptom remission to health, wellness, and flourishing.

Social and Occupational Functioning in Individuals With BPD: A Systematic Review

This systematic review aimed to explore social and occupational functioning levels in individuals with BPD and whether this varies according to symptomatic status, age, or gender. A multi-database search was conducted for articles, and of the 1164 records identified, 19 were included in this review. Of the 15 studies reporting on social functioning, 13 indicated significant levels of impairment, and of the 14 studies reporting on global functioning, all indicated significant impairment across both clinical and in-remission populations. Occupational functioning was primarily assessed as either a part of global functioning or by subscales within social functioning, highlighting a lack of use of dedicated measures for its assessment. This systematic review found that individuals with BPD experience a range of significant impairments in functioning persisting across the lifespan. Further studies are warranted to explore levels of functional impairment across all functional domains and factors associated with continual functional impairment in this population.

Evaluating Dialectical Behavior Therapy Training With Mental Health Clinicians

A substantial body of research supports dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as an evidence-based treatment for those with borderline personality disorder (BPD); however, there remains a lack of mental health clinicians trained in this modality, resulting in limited clinician competencies and skills. Furthermore, the effectiveness of DBT trainings with mental health clinicians remains understudied. The present study evaluated a comprehensive 5-day DBT-Linehan Board of Certification training program. Informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior, this study assessed changes in clinician knowledge, attitudes, perceived behavioral control (PBC), intentions, and behaviors relevant to DBT at baseline, posttraining, and 6-month follow-up. Results showed large, significant pre-to-post training improvements in clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, PBC, and intentions related to DBT implementation. Large improvements in knowledge, attitudes, and PBC were sustained at follow-up. A significant improvement in actual behaviors was also found at follow-up. Implications of the present study and directions for future research are discussed.

Psychopathological Determinants of Quality of Life in People with Borderline Personality Disorder

BACKGROUND

Subjective quality of life (SQOL) in people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a marker of disease burden; a crucial treatment outcome; an indicator of psychosocial functioning; and a measure of interventions' effectiveness. Given the dearth of consolidated data, the current study examined psychopathological determinants of global and domain-specific SQOL in people with BPD.

METHODS

Hierarchical regression models were employed to examine in BPD patients (n = 150) the relationships of the number of BPD diagnostic criteria; the co-occurrence of other personality disorders (PDs); depression; state and trait anxiety; suicidality; self-harming; alcohol and substance use disorders with SQOL indices, namely physical health, psychological health, social relationships, environment, overall QOL and overall health. SQOL was estimated using the WHOQOL-BREF instrument.

RESULTS

Co-existing symptomatology such as depression, state and trait anxiety, and personality pathology, namely the co-occurrence of other PDs, exhibited significant associations with global and domain-specific SQOL, albeit depression was the strongest determinant of the most SQOL domains. In contrast, the number of BPD diagnostic criteria and central illness features such as suicidality, self-harming behaviour, and impulsivity manifested through alcohol and substance use did not exhibit significant associations with any SQOL dimension.

CONCLUSIONS

Comprehensive assessment of depressive symptoms should be regularly implemented in BPD services to facilitate early detection and treatment, thereby ensuring patients' SQOL. Accordingly, tackling anxiety and other PDs co-occurrence through appropriate interventions can facilitate more effectively SQOL improvement. Our findings can be explained by the hypothesis that co-existing psychopathology such as depression, anxiety and co-occurrence of other PDs in BPD patients represent illness severity indices rather than comorbid disorders, and might fully mediate the effect of BPD traits on SQOL. Future mediation analysis is required to elucidate this hypothesis.

Selbstmitgefühl mediiert den Zusammenhang zwischen dysfunktionalen Persönlichkeitsstilen und der mentalen Gesundheit depressiver Patient_innen

Zusammenfassung. Theoretischer Hintergrund: Ein selbstunsicherer und Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstil scheinen positiv mit Symptomschwere und negativ mit Lebenszufriedenheit bei depressiven Personen zusammenzuhängen. Selbstmitgefühl könnte hierbei eine vermittelnde Rolle spielen. Fragestellung: Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte, ob ein geringeres Selbstmitgefühl den Zusammenhang eines selbstunsicheren bzw. Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstils mit geringerer Lebenszufriedenheit und höherer Symptomschwere vermittelt. Methode: In einer Querschnitts-Erhebung beantworteten 78 ambulante Patient_innen mit Majorer Depression Fragebögen zu Selbstmitgefühl, Lebenszufriedenheit, depressiver Symptomschwere und Persönlichkeitsstilen. Anschließend wurden Mediationsanalysen berechnet. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse implizieren, dass ein geringeres Selbstmitgefühl den Zusammenhang zwischen einem selbstunsicheren Stil und depressiver Symptomschwere vermittelt. Insbesondere eine ausgeprägtere Selbstverurteilung vermittelte den Zusammenhang zwischen einem selbstunsicheren bzw. Borderline-Stil und geringerer Lebenszufriedenheit. Schlussfolgerungen: Selbstmitgefühl zu stärken und insbesondere Selbstverurteilung zu reduzieren könnte bei depressiven Patient_innen mit selbstunsicherem oder Borderline-Stil ein Ansatzpunkt zur Verbesserung der mentalen Gesundheit sein, was in Interventionsstudien untersucht werden sollte. Limitationen der Studie sind das querschnittliche Design und die geringe interne Konsistenz einzelner Selbstmitgefühls-Facetten.

Psychosocial functioning in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury: the roles of childhood maltreatment, borderline personality disorder and depression

BACKGROUND

There is a lack of studies examining psychosocial functioning in patients with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), especially in adolescents, and rates of impaired functioning in existing literature vary considerably. These variations may be attributable to further risk factors that influence psychosocial functioning. Thus, the aim of the study was to examine whether adolescent NSSI patients with childhood maltreatment (CM), a known risk factor for lower psychosocial functioning, may differ from adolescent NSSI patients without CM, and whether these differences may be explained by the severity of comorbid disorders. Specifically, we examined whether severity of borderline personality disorder (BPD), depression and posttraumatic stress disorder may explain differences in psychosocial functioning in NSSI patients with and without CM.

METHODS

Data of 368 adolescents with NSSI disorder from an outpatient clinic were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Clinicans' rating of the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) was collected, in addition to clinical interviews.

RESULTS

Results indicate that GAF scores were lower among NSSI patients with CM and that the difference in psychosocial functioning between these groups was explained by BPD and depression severity.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychosocial functioning in NSSI patients varies depending on whether they have experienced CM or not. Specifically, these differences seem to be attributable to higher BPD and depression severity in adolescent NSSI patients with CM. Clinicians should ensure to assess CM and focus on BPD and depression severity in this population. Treatment of BPD and depression may notably reduce psychosocial impairment in NSSI patients with CM.

Ego-resiliency in borderline personality disorder and the mediating role of positive and negative affect on its associations with symptom severity and quality of life in daily life

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental health condition associated with severe symptoms of distress and poor quality of life (QoL). Research outside the field of BPD suggests that ego-resiliency is negatively associated with psychopathology and positively associated with a range of positive life outcomes. Thus, ego-resiliency may be a valuable construct for furthering our understanding and treatment of BPD. However, the mechanisms linking ego-resiliency to psychopathology and QoL in relation to BPD have not been examined and explored by research. This study has addressed this gap in the collective knowledge by evaluating whether within-person associations between daily reports of positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) mediated the relationship between ego-resiliency, BPD symptom severity, and QoL. For 21 consecutive days, 72 women diagnosed with BPD completed end-of-day electronic assessments regarding ego-resiliency, PA and NA, symptom severity, and QoL. Multilevel structural equation modelling established that PA and NA were parallel mediators linking ego-resiliency with BPD symptom severity and QoL. As hypothesized, the path to QoL was stronger through PA than through NA. The mediation paths through NA and PA to BPD symptom severity were both significant, but their strength did not differ. Our findings align with the assertions of theories on emotion, thus suggesting a two-factor approach to PA and NA. Future research can build on these findings by developing psychotherapeutic interventions designed not only to reduce symptom severity but also to enhance PA in individuals with BPD and determine whether an increase in PA is associated with improved QoL.

Self-esteem instability and affective instability in everyday life after remission from borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is defined by a pervasive pattern of instability. According to prior findings and clinical theories, self-esteem instability and affective instability are key features of BPD. Previous e-diary studies showed that instability in self-esteem is heightened and that it is highly intertwined with affective instability in BPD in comparison to healthy controls (HC). The present study sought to extend these findings by adding symptomatologically remitted BPD patients (BPD-REM), i.e. former patients with BPD who met four or fewer BPD criteria within the past year, as a comparison group.

METHODS

To examine differences regarding self-esteem instability and affective instability, we used e-diaries for repeatedly collecting data on self-esteem, valence, and tense arousal 12 times a day for four consecutive days while participants underwent their daily life activities. Determining three different state-of-the-art instability indices and applying multilevel analyses, we compared 35 BPD-REM participants with previously reported 60 acute BPD patients (BPD-ACU) and 60 HC.

RESULTS

Our results revealed that self-esteem instability was significantly lower in the BPD-REM compared to the BPD-ACU group, irrespective of the instability index. In contrast, there were no significant differences regarding affective instability between the BPD-REM participants and those in the BPD-ACU group. The comparison between the BPD-REM with the HC indicated both a significantly higher instability in self-esteem as well as significantly heightened affective instability in the BPD-REM participants. Moreover, even though the associations were not significant, we found tentative support for the assumption that affective changes that are accompanied by changes in self-esteem are experienced as more burdensome and negatively impact the quality of life of remitted BPD participants.

CONCLUSIONS

This study builds on growing evidence for the importance of self-esteem instability in BPD. Whereas affective instability has been reported in various psychiatric disorders and might indeed constitute a transdiagnostic marker of affective dysregulation, our results indicate that self-esteem instability might be a specific symptom that construes the unique pathology in BPD.

Impaired memory for cooperative interaction partners in borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Interpersonal disturbances in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) have been attributed to a negativity bias in social cognition. Adding to this literature, we experimentally tested whether those with BPD show altered memory for cooperative versus non-cooperative interaction partners.

METHODS

In a source memory paradigm, 51 female BPD patients and 50 healthy controls (HC) played a trust game with 40 different female target characters (trustworthy vs untrustworthy). In a subsequent surprise memory test, participants had to recognize those target individuals (vs distractor pictures), and had to recall whether they had shown cooperative behavior during the trust game. We hypothesized that BPD patients have better memory for uncooperative interaction partners as compared to cooperative interaction partners, and that a-priori expectations of untrustworthiness would influence recall.

RESULTS

During the trust game, BPD individuals invested lower amounts of money than HC for trustworthy targets, but no differences were found for untrustworthy targets. During the memory test, BPD patients had significant difficulties to remember cooperative targets, as compared to HC. More specifically, those with BPD indicated more often than HC that they had not previously interacted with cooperative targets of the previous trust game. We did not detect any differences between BPD and HC in source memory, or with regard to the effects of trustworthiness expectations.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed tendency to forget cooperative interaction partners in BPD is possibly caused by dysfunctional cognitive schemas. At the same time, it might also corroborate patients' assumptions that others are untrustworthy, thereby fuelling interpersonal disturbances in BPD.

The Effect of Hopelessness and Perceived Group Compatibility on Treatment Outcome for Patients With Personality Dysfunction

Improvement in life satisfaction is hard to achieve for any patient with personality psychopathology, and possibly even moreso for those who feel hopeless at the start of treatment. The present research investigated the potential influence of hopelessness in the treatment of patients with personality dysfunction, using data from patients who completed an intensive group therapy program designed to reduce symptom distress and support optimal psychosocial functioning (N = 80). In the present study, we sought to examine whether hopelessness would moderate (i.e., strengthen or weaken) relations between compatibility ratings and life satisfaction outcome. Hopelessness had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between compatibility and outcome, suggesting that, for patients who entered treatment feeling more hopeless, higher appraisals of fit within the group facilitated better gains in life satisfaction. If replicated, the findings underlie the importance of focusing on increasing hope and perceived group affiliation in the treatment of personality dysfunction.

A proposed severity classification of borderline symptoms using the borderline symptom list (BSL-23)

BACKGROUND

The Borderline Symptom List (BSL-23) is a well-established self-rating instrument to assess the severity of borderline typical psychopathology. However, a classification of severity levels for the BSL-23 is missing.

METHODS

Data from 1.090 adults were used to develop a severity classification for the Borderline Symptom List (BSL-23). The severity grading was based on the distribution of the BSL-23 in 241 individuals with a diagnosis of BPD. Data from three independent samples were used to validate the previously defined severity grades.These validation samples included a group of treatment seeking patients with a diagnosis of BPD (n = 317), a sample of individuals with mental illnesses other than BPD (n = 176), and a healthy control sample (n = 356). The severity grades were validated from comparisons with established assessment instruments such as the International Personality Disorders Examination, the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, the global severity index of the Symptom Checklist (GSI, SCL-90), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II).

RESULTS

Six grades of symptom severity were defined for the BSL-23 mean score: none or low: 0-0.3; mild: 0.3-0.7; moderate: 0.7-1.7; high: 1.7-2.7; very high: 2.7-3.5; and extremely high: 3.5-4. These grades received consistent empirical support from the independent instruments and samples. For instance, individuals with a severity grade of none or low were virtually free from diagnostic BPD-criteria, had a GSI below the normative population, and a high level of global functioning corresponding to few or no symptoms. Severity grades indicating high to extremely high levels of BPD symptoms were observed at a much higher rate in treatment-seeking patients (70.0%) than in clinical controls (17.6%) and healthy controls (0.0%). The BSL-23 score that best separated treatment-seeking BPD patients and clinical controls was 1.50, whereas the clearest discrimination of BPD patients and healthy controls was found at a score of 0.64.

CONCLUSIONS

The grades of BPD-specific symptom severity derived from the distribution of the BSL-23 scores received consistent empirical validation from established assessments for psychopathology. Future studies should expand this validation by including additional instruments e.g., to assess self-esteem, loneliness, connectedness, and quality of life.

Family Connections in different settings and intensities for underserved and geographically isolated families: a non-randomised comparison study

BACKGROUND

Family Connections (FC) is a multi-family skills training program for relatives of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and related difficulties, typically offered once per week for 12-14 weeks. Families with loved ones receiving residential Dialectical Behaviour Therapy DBT (DBT-R) in a different community, or those with multiple caregiving demands may have difficulty participating in weekly standard FC (FC-S). The aims of this paper are to: 1) Evaluate the results of the FC-S approach compared with an intensified weekend FC model developed for family members whose relatives are in DBT-R (FC-R); 2) Evaluate outcomes of FC-R for families with loved ones returning home from DBT-R, as little is known about how this population fares.

METHODS

Data were collected at pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2), and at six-to-seven-month follow-up (T3) in this non-randomized comparison study. A total of 82 family members participated, 34 of whom completed the FC-S program and 48 of whom completed the FC-R program. The evaluation was based upon outcomes derived from a standard battery used in FC research, analyzed by time and treatment setting. A composite score to evaluate family distress was generated. Two-way mixed multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVA) were employed to evaluate time (pre-versus-post versus follow-up) and group (FC-S versus FC-R).

RESULTS

Scores on measures of mental health difficulties (General Severity Index), sense of burden (Burden Assessment Scale), and Global Family Functioning showed improvement over time. Having a loved one return home from DBT-R was associated with worsening on the GSI and the BAS at post-test. Notably, this deterioration was not found at follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Little is known about families with loved ones receiving DBT-R other than the fact that their loved ones had not responded to previous services, which suggests greater complexity and chronicity. Because the family members receiving the weekend intensive FC-R version of FC demonstrated improvement, preliminary support exists for service providers to use the weekend intensive FC-R model as a time-and-cost efficient option whenever barriers exist to participating in weekly FC-S. Our findings also suggest that booster sessions may be indicated for families receiving loved ones home from DBT-R programs.

Long-term clinical and functional course of borderline personality disorder: A meta-analysis of prospective studies

Background:

This meta-analytic review is the first to synthesise findings from prospective research on the long-term course of borderline personality disorder in adult clinical populations.

Methods:

Systematic searches were conducted in Medline, PsycINFO, PsycArticles, PubMed and Scopus within the period 1990-2017. Inclusion criteria were: (1) adult BPD sample diagnosed by a validated, semi-structured interview; (2) at least two prospective assessments of outcomes; and (3) follow-up period ≥ 5 years. Quality of evidence was rated with the Systematic Assessment of Quality in Observational Research (SAQOR). Four outcomes were meta-analysed using mixed-effect methods: remission from BPD diagnosis, completed suicide, depressive symptoms, and functioning. Potential moderators regarding the natural course and the initial treatment received were studied.

Results:

Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria, with 837 participants from nine countries being followed. Between 50% and 70% of the BPD patients achieved remission in the long-term. Significant reductions in depression and functional impairment were also found. Mean suicide rate ranged from 2% to 5%. Younger age was associated with higher likelihood for remission. Being female was correlated with lower functional improvement. Despite some positive trends, there were no significant associations between treatment moderators and the long-term outcome.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that the course of BPD is characterised by symptomatic amelioration and a slight functional improvement in the long-term. Age and gender modulate the long-term prognosis and should be considered to adapt treatment resources. Further research is required to draw robust conclusions on the long-term effects of psychotherapeutic interventions.