CONCEPTUAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH FINDINGS ON BORDERLINE PERSONALITY-DISORDER - WHAT EVERY CLINICIAN SHOULD KNOW

Whereas the literature on borderline personality disorder (BPD) was on ce exclusively clinical and theoretical, today an accumulating body of research on the nature, etiology, prognosis, and treatment of BPD is of relevance to clinical practice. This article provides a ''clinician 's guide'' to the empirical data on BPD. It begins with a discussion o f the evolution of the borderline construct, from early descriptions o f a type of patient on the border between psychosis and neurosis, thro ugh Kernberg's postulation of a level of disturbance called borderline personality organization'' through the current DSM conceptualization. in the next section, we examine reseal ch on the etiology of BPD, foc using on genetic contributions, attachment histories, and physical and sexual abuse, after which we discuss prognosis, summarizing the resul ts of longitudinal studies. Finally, we address treatment approaches f ocusing on psychodynamic psychotherapy, dialectical behavior therapy, pharmacotherapy, and integrative treatment for BPD. (C) 1998 John Wile y & Sons Inc.