Borderline Personality Disorder: a narrative review on effective psychotherapies

Authors

Marina Neri, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Antonino Reitano, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Lavinia Rinnone, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Antonio Bruno, University of MessinaFollow
Fabrizio Turiaco, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Felicia Matilde Ferreri, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Carmela Mento, University of Messina, Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, Psychiatric Unit Policlinico Hospital Messina, ItalyFollow
Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow
Fiammetta Iannuzzo, University of Messina, Messina, ItalyFollow

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder characterized by pervasive patterns of relational instability, chronic feelings of emptiness, sense of abandonment, self-injurious and anticonservative attempts. Pharmacological treatment has been found useful only for the management of severe symptoms and management of comorbidities, while psychotherapy is the main treatment for BPD. Although the disorder has long been considered resistant to any treatment, in recent years research has not only shown that BPD can be treated but also provided several manualized and empirically validated psychotherapeutic treatments. This paper set out to examine the most effective current psychotherapies for the treatment of BPD. All articles published in the last five years on the new psychotherapic treatments for BPD were included. Articles not relevant to this topic, as well as case reports and articles on animal models, were excluded. EBs forms of psychotherapy directed at symptom control and comorbidities occurring in BPD and forms termed generalist, were analyzed. Overall, the study found that there is no single form of psychotherapy that can fully treat BPD. The most effective forms of psychotherapy in controlling impulsive and self-injurious symptoms and in managing comorbidities remain Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Schema Therapy.

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Recommended Citation

Neri, Marina; Reitano, Antonino; Rinnone, Lavinia; Bruno, Antonio; Turiaco, Fabrizio; Ferreri, Felicia Matilde; Mento, Carmela; Muscatello, Maria Rosaria Anna; and Iannuzzo, Fiammetta (2024) "Borderline Personality Disorder: a narrative review on effective psychotherapies," Journal of Mind and Medical Sciences: Vol. 11: Iss. 2, Article 1.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22543/2392-7674.1500
Available at: https://scholar.valpo.edu/jmms/vol11/iss2/1