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A dialectical behavior therapy program for people with an eating disorder and borderline personality disorder—description and outcome
Author(s) -
Palmer Robert L.,
Birchall Helen,
Damani Sadhana,
Gatward Nicholas,
McGrain Lesley,
Parker Lorraine
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.10141
Subject(s) - borderline personality disorder , dialectical behavior therapy , psychology , psychotherapist , personality , eating disorders , psychiatry , clinical psychology , harm , social psychology
Objective To describe and evaluate a full dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program for people with comorbid eating disorder and borderline personality disorder. The program included a novel skills training module written especially for eating‐disordered patients. Method The program was run for 18 months. Days in hospital and major acts of self‐harm were counted for the 18 months before and after DBT. Results There were no dropouts from the program. The patients seemed to benefit. Most patients were neither eating disordered nor self‐harming at follow‐up. Discussion Full DBT is an expensive and demanding treatment but deserves consideration for patients with an eating disorder and co‐morbid borderline personality disorder and self‐harm. There is a need for a more systematic and thorough evaluation. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 33: 281–286, 2003.