Spiritual and religious experiences in the context of borderline personality disorder are underexplored by both researchers and clinicians, are central in the lived experience of some patients, and are likely to interact in complex ways with core symptoms and challenges. Effective navigation of this domain by clinicians and patients may require increasing, decreasing, or stabilizing engagement with spiritual and religious beliefs, practices, or communities, depending on the person. No empirically derived guidelines exist for how clinicians can address this area to help patients maximize benefits while minimizing harms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe present a case illustrating common challenges in the hospital management and treatment of comorbid borderline personality disorder and substance use disorders. Experts in the field of personality disorders and substance use disorders discuss various topics and strategies for patient-centered management. Key learning points include evaluation and diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, good psychiatric management, withdrawal and pharmacologic management, harm reduction, team dynamics, and behavior planning all in the hospital setting.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite the growing cultural and empirical interest in pathological narcissism (PN), effective treatment guidelines for PN have not yet been established. This article develops mentalization-based treatment (MBT), a leading evidence-based therapy for borderline personality disorder, as a primary intervention for PN. Synthesizing research on parenting styles, attachment patterns, and empathy in PN, the authors propose a developmental model of narcissism centering on impairments in mentalization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Behav Neurosci Rep
February 2017
Purpose Of The Review: This review summarizes advances in treatments for adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in the last 5 years.
Recent Findings: Evidence-based advances in the treatment of BPD include a delineation of generalist models of care in contrast to specialist treatments, identification of essential effective elements of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and the adaptation of DBT treatment to manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and BPD. Studies on pharmacological interventions remain limited and have not provided evidence that any specific medications can provide stand-alone treatment.
While the public health burden posed by borderline personality disorder (BPD) rivals that associated with other major mental illnesses, the prevailing disposition of psychiatrists toward the disorder remains characterized by misinformation, stigma, aversive attitudes, and insufficient familiarity with effective generalist treatments that can be delivered in nonspecialized health care settings. Residency training programs are well positioned to better equip the next generation of psychiatrists to address these issues, but no consensus or guidelines currently exist for what and how residents should be taught about managing BPD. Instead, disproportionately limited curricular time, teaching of non-evidence-based approaches, and modeling of conceptually confused combinations of techniques drawn from specialty BPD treatments are offered.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrim Care Companion CNS Disord
June 2013
The Psychiatric Consultation Service at Massachusetts General Hospital sees medical and surgical inpatients with comorbid psychiatric symptoms and conditions. Such consultations require the integration of medical and psychiatric knowledge. During their twice-weekly rounds, Dr Stern and other members of the Consultation Service discuss the diagnosis and management of conditions confronted.
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