FRIDAY, July 14, 2006 (HealthDay News) -- Women with borderline personality disorder who received a form of therapy called dialectical behavior therapy were half as likely to attempt suicide as patients treated otherwise, a new study finds.
The patients who received dialectical behavior therapy were also less likely to go to an emergency room for suicidal behavior or to be hospitalized for psychiatric problems, according to the study of 101 women, aged 18 to 45, with borderline personality disorder.
The women who received the treatment were also less likely to switch therapists or drop out of treatment.
The findings are published in the current issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.
An estimated 5.8 million to 8.7 million Americans, mostly women, suffer from borderline personality disorder, which is marked by emotional instability, difficulty in maintaining close relationships, eating disorders, impulsivity, chronic uncertainly about life goals, and addictive behaviors. People with the disorder have a high suicide rate.
Dialectical behavior therapy balances change and acceptance, and this new University of Washington study, along with several previous studies, suggests that it is the most effective treatment for borderline personality disorder. Dialectical behavior therapy was first developed at the university.
"People with borderline personality disorder have difficulty regulating their emotion and their lives, so dialectical behavior therapy is designed to help clients build a life worth living. Not only do they attach to us, we attach to them," study author Marsha Linehan, a psychology professor, said in a prepared statement.
Half the women in the study were assigned to therapists trained in dialectical behavior therapy. These women received weekly individual psychotherapy and weekly group skills training. They also had telephone access to their therapist for a year.
The other women in the study were assigned to therapists who provided the type and amount of therapy they believed was best suited to each patient.
Both groups were treated for a year and then followed for an additional year to assess the effects of the therapy.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more about borderline personality disorder.
