DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR-THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF PERSONS WITH BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDER

Highly suicidal, borderline patients are difficult to treat within the hospital and the community. The institution of managed care necessita tes that care for these and other chronically hospitalized populations take place in the community. Psychotherapy has shown moderate success for some borderlines, however, treatment attrition is a significant p roblem. Without an intervention that successfully maintains suicidal b orderline patients in therapy, either more costly methods of treatment must be used or death will result. A form of cognitive-behavioral the rapy called dialectical behavior therapy has shown a high rate of effe ctiveness in reducing inpatient hospital days, suicide attempt frequen cy, and therapy attrition. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company .