Attitudes of Mental Health Staff Toward Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: An Italian Cross-Sectional Multisite Study

Clinicians', patients' and carers' perspectives on borderline personality disorder in Pakistan: A mixed methods study protocol

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a condition characterised by significant social and occupational impairment and high rates of suicide. In high income countries, mental health professionals carry negative attitudes towards patients with BPD, find it difficult to work with patients with BPD, and even avoid seeing these patients. Negative attitudes and stigma can cause patients to fear mistreatment by health care providers and create additional barriers to care. Patients' self-stigma and illness understanding BPD also affects treatment engagement and outcomes; better knowledge about mental illness predicts intentions to seek care. The perspectives of mental health clinicians and patients on BPD have not been researched in the Pakistani setting and likely differ from other settings due to economic, cultural, and health care system differences. Our study aims to understand the attitudes of mental health clinicians towards patients with BPD in Pakistan using a self-report survey. We also aim to explore explanatory models of illness in individuals with BPD and their family members/carers using a Short Explanatory Model Interview (SEMI). The results of this study are important as we know attitudes and illness understanding greatly impact care. Results of this study will help guide BPD-specific training for mental health clinicians who care for patients with BPD and help inform approaches to interventions for patients with BPD in Pakistan.

Borderline personality disorder in young people: state of the art and future plans in Italy

Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in Italy has a relatively recent history. In the last few years, based on the increasing number of BPD patients admitted in Italian Mental Health Services (MHS), several regions have introduced treatment for BPD among their clinical priorities. A general 'call for action' has been launched within the psychiatric community. The aim of the current review is to describe the state of the art of research and clinical programs for personality disorders in young people. The Italian clinical context will be described with a focus on the transition discontinuity of care between adult and child/adolescent services. Prevention and early intervention programs available in Italy will be reviewed and a new agenda will be discussed.