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Dialectical Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder and Eating Disorders Comorbidity: A Pilot Study in a Naturalistic Setting

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Abstract

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been shown to be successful in the treatment of borderline personality disorder and eating disorders separately. The present study compares Standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy with a Treatment as Usual Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TAU CBT) for the treatment of borderline personality disorder and eating disorders comorbid features. A total of 118 women diagnosed with borderline personality disorders and eating disorders were assigned to one of two treatment groups in a naturalistic setting (DBT = 71; TAU CBT = 47). DBT showed a greater decrease in dysfunctional behaviors used to regulate emotions and related to borderline personality disorder (i.e. substance abuse, impulsive money spending, unprotected sex, etc.), non-suicidal self-injuries, and depressive symptoms, as well as an increase in cognitive reappraisal and global functioning. DBT and TAU CBT showed similar improvements in suicide attempts, dysfunctional eating behaviors (i.e. binge eating, purgative behaviors, and restriction), hospitalizations, negative and positive affect, and expressive suppression. Results of this study support the utility and effectiveness of standard DBT for comorbid borderline personality disorder and eating disorders in naturalistic settings. Replications of this study and randomized controlled trials are needed.

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Funding

The Funding was provided by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain, proyectos de investigación fundamental no orientada (PSI2010-21423/PSIC).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Psicologia Basica, Clinica y Psicobiologia, Universitat Jaume I, Avda Vicent Sos Baynat s/n, 12071, Castellon, Spain

    Cristina Botella & Azucena Garcia-Palacios

  2. Ciber Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutrición, CB06/03 Instituto Salud Carlos III, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Cristina Botella, Rosa Baños & Azucena Garcia-Palacios

  3. Hospital Universitari General de Catalunya, C. Josep Trueta, S/N, 08195, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain

    Maria V. Navarro-Haro

  4. Unidad de Trastornos de la Personalidad Previ, Centro Clínico PREVI, C/ Grabador Esteve 12, 2°-5ª, 46004, Valencia, Spain

    Mercedes Jorquera

  5. Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, C/Guillem de Castro, 175, 46008, Valencia, Spain

    Reyes Moliner, Heliodoro Marco & Mercedes Jorquera

  6. Departamento de Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamientos Psicológicos, Universidad de Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibañez, 21, 46010, Valencia, Spain

    Verónica Guillen & Rosa Baños

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  1. Maria V. Navarro-Haro
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Correspondence to Maria V. Navarro-Haro.

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María Vicenta Navarro-Haro, Cristina Botella, Verónica Guillen, Reyes Moliner, Heliodoro Marco, Mercedes Jorquera, Rosa Baños and Azucena Garcia-Palacios declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Navarro-Haro, M.V., Botella, C., Guillen, V. et al. Dialectical Behavior Therapy in the Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder and Eating Disorders Comorbidity: A Pilot Study in a Naturalistic Setting. Cogn Ther Res 42, 636–649 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-018-9906-9

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