The Effect of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder Research Paper

The basis of this study looks at the effects of a therapy derived from eastern Zen practices and western psychodynamic theory, known as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, on the treatment of patients afflicted with Borderline Personality Disorder. DBT is a treatment paradigm created by Marsha M. Linehan of Washington University, and is the first and only treatment paradigm to be tested in clinical settings. The importance of DBT stems from the belief that BPD is the most treatment-resistant of all mental disorders outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual: Vol. IV. The study tests the hypothesis that DBT will effectively reduce targeted behaviors of BPD as compared to treatment as usual (TAU) groups, and suggests that because of the structured nature of DBT, it is the most effective of all present treatments of BPD.