A randomised controlled trial of a psychoeducational group intervention for family and friends of young people with borderline personality disorder features.

Objective: Preliminary evidence indicates that interventions designed to support family and friends ('carers') of young people with early-stage borderline personality disorder effectively improve carer outcomes. None of these interventions have been tested in a randomised controlled trial.

Method: This clustered, partially nested, randomised controlled trial was conducted at Orygen, Melbourne, Australia.

A comparison of experiences of care and expressed emotion among caregivers of young people with first-episode psychosis or borderline personality disorder features.

Objective: Caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness often experience significant negative experiences of care, which can be associated with higher levels of expressed emotion. Expressed emotion is potentially a modifiable target early in the course of illness, which might improve outcomes for caregivers and patients. However, expressed emotion and caregiver experiences in the early stages of disorders might be moderated by the type of severe mental illness.

A study comparing the experiences of family and friends of young people with borderline personality disorder features with family and friends of young people with other serious illnesses and general population adults.

Background: Family and friends ('carers') of adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and carers of young people with other serious illnesses experience significant adversity but research on the experiences of caring for a young person with BPD features is sparse. This study aimed to: (i) describe the experiences of carers of young people with BPD features; (ii) compare them with published data assessing carers of young people with other serious illnesses and with adults from the general population.

Methods: Eighty-two carers (M age = 44.