CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE DAY TREATMENT PROGRAMMING FOR PERSONS WITH BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDER

Day treatment, or partial hospitalization may have unique advantages f or the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. Suc h treatment may offer patients the optimal level of intensiveness and containment, resulting in less regressive dependency and acting-out be havior. To be successcul in treatment of patients with borderline pers onality disorder, a day treatment program should facilitate the patien t's need to experience and express affect safely, optimize the program 's ability to provide less restrictiveness than inpatient treatment bu t more sustained and intensive support than outpatient treatment, and use verbal and nonverbal approaches to help patients maintain primary responsibility for their well-being. A length of stay of three weeks a llows patients to regain baseline functioning and resume long-term out patient care. Treatment goals should be clear and resolvable in three weeks.