Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2016 Feb:77:162-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2015.12.013. Epub 2015 Dec 23.

Dialectical behavior therapy and domains of functioning over two years

Chelsey R Wilks  1 , Kathryn E Korslund  2 , Melanie S Harned  2 , Marsha M Linehan  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Dialectical behavior therapy and domains of functioning over two years

Chelsey R Wilks et al. Behav Res Ther. 2016 Feb.

Abstract

Individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) tend to have a significant degree of functional impairment across a range of social and occupational spheres including difficulty finding and maintaining satisfying employment, housing, or relationships. Understanding what factors are associated with functional impairment will enable treatment providers to move those diagnosed with BPD beyond symptomatic recovery and toward a life worth living. This paper investigated the trajectories and predictors of functional outcomes for suicidal women with BPD (N = 99) during a treatment outcome study of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). Results revealed that participants had statistical and clinical improvements in functioning. Individuals with high emotion dysregulation displayed poorer psychosocial functioning at the subsequent assessment period and slower rates of change, which was also seen in reverse for one psychosocial functioning variable. Skills use was not related to individual trajectories in functioning. This study highlights the relationship of emotion dysregulation to functioning within a sample of suicidal women with BPD as well as the importance researching multiple domains in functioning.

Keywords: Borderline personality disorder; Dialectical behavior therapy; Functional impairment; Interpersonal dysfunction.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association . The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM 5. bookpointUS; 2013. doi: 10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.
    1. Bateman A, Fonagy P. 8-year follow-up of patients treated for borderline personality disorder: mentalization-based treatment versus treatment as usual. American Journal of Psychiatry. 2008;165(5):631–638. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07040636. - PubMed
    1. Bijttebier P, Vertommen H. Coping strategies in relation to personality disorders. Personality and Individual Differences. 1999;26(5):847–856.
    1. Bohus M, Haaf B, Simms T, Limberger MF, Schmahl C, Unckel C, Linehan MM. Effectiveness of inpatient dialectical behavioral therapy for borderline personality disorder: a controlled trial. Behaviour research and therapy. 2004;42(5):487–499. doi: 10.1016/S0005-7967(03)00174-8. - PubMed
    1. Brown MZ, Comtois KA, Linehan MM. Reasons for suicide attempts and nonsuicidal self-injury in women with borderline personality disorder. Journal of abnormal psychology. 2002;111(1):198. doi: 10.1037//0021-843X.111.1.198. - PubMed

Publication types