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Individual psychotherapy is a recommended treatment of patients with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition , cluster B personality disorders. Due to their pathology, these patients represent a challenge in psychotherapy, and guidelines for practical handling exist. This study examined the attitudes of psychotherapists toward these challenges. Three hundred twenty-four experienced Norwegian therapists filled in a questionnaire on issues relevant to individual psychotherapy of patients with personality disorders. The attitudes toward cluster B patients were examined and compared with those of clusters A and C patients on contract issues, acting out, use of drugs, information to relatives, and contraindications. A considerable gap was found between therapists' attitudes toward cluster B patients and published guidelines. The therapists mostly handled cluster B in the same way as clusters A and C. Empirical investigations of therapists' handling provide an important feedback from everyday clinical practice on divergences in relation to guidelines derived from experts' consensus and research.

Background: Epidemiological studies have found reduced health-related quality of life (QoL) in patients with personality disorders (PDs), but few clinical studies have examined QoL in PDs, and none of them are from an ordinary psychiatric outpatient clinic (POC). We wanted to examine QoL in patients with PDs seen at a POC, to explore the associations of QoL with established psychiatric measures, and to evaluate QoL as an outcome measure in PD patients., Methods: 72 patients with PDs at a POC filled in the MOS Short Form 36 (SF-36), and two established psychiatric self-rating measures. A national norm sample was compared on the SF-36. An independent psychiatrist diagnosed PDs and Axis-I disorders by structured interviews and rated the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF). All measurements were repeated in the 39 PD patients that attended the 2 years follow-up examination., Results: PD patients showed high co-morbidity with other PDs and Axis I mental disorders, and they scored significantly lower on all the SF-36 dimensions than age- and gender-adjusted norms. Adjustment for co-morbid Axis I disorders had some influence, however. The SF-36 mental health, vitality, and social functioning were significantly associated with the GAF and the self-rated psychiatric measures. Significant changes at follow-up were found in the psychiatric measures, but only on the mental health and role-physical of the SF-36., Conclusion: Patients with PDs seen for treatment at a POC have globally poor QoL. Both physical and mental dimensions of the SF-36 are correlated with established psychiatric measures in such patients, but significant changes in these measures are only partly associated with changes in the SF-36 dimensions.

Few studies exist on the outcome of patients with personality disorders (PDs) treated at ordinary outpatient clinics. This study examines the gains of such patients 2 years after treatment start at an outpatient clinic. Three patient groups were sampled: cluster A + B PDs, cluster C PDs and axis I disorders. Fifty-eight patients (53%) were amenable to follow-up, and they did not show less psychopathology than the non-compliers. All patients had structured interviews and filled in questionnaires. Patients in the PDs cluster A + B group showed considerable gains, while that was not found for the PDs cluster C and Axis I disorder groups. Since almost all patients received long-term psychotherapy sometimes combined with antidepressant drugs, the finding that such a treatment mainly shows gains in more severely disturbed PDs patients should be replicated in larger samples at ordinary psychiatric outpatient clinics.

Individual psychodynamic psychotherapy is a recommended, but controversial, treatment for patients with personality disorders (PDs). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between demographic and professional characteristics of experienced psychotherapists and their attitudes and opinions towards aspects of this kind of psychotherapy. A questionnaire covering these issues of psychodynamic psychotherapy with patients belonging to all three DSM-IV clusters of PD was developed. A sample of 324 Norwegian psychiatrists and clinical psychologist with considerable experience in individual dynamic psychotherapy of patients with PDs filled in valid questionnaires. The therapists' age, gender, profession, postgraduate courses and degree of experience were examined as to their opinions on the following issues: alliances, aims, contraindications, needs to terminate, suicides, use of drugs, length of treatment, need for supervision and complaints to colleagues about patients' behaviour in such therapy with PD patients. Independent sample t-tests of the mean z-transformed group scores were the main statistical method applied. Therapist experience made the most significant differences as to treatment issues, while some differences also were found for age, gender and profession. The influence of postgraduate courses was negligible. Our study might have a selection bias towards therapist with strong psychodynamic orientation and particular interest in the psychotherapy of patients with PDs.

Few studies exist on the outcome of patients with personality disorders (PDs) treated at ordinary outpatient clinics. This study examines the gains of such patients 2  years after treatment start at an outpatient clinic. Three patient groups were sampled: cluster A + B PDs, cluster C PDs and axis I disorders. Fifty-eight patients (53%) were amenable to follow-up, and they did not show less psychopathology than the non-compliers. All patients had structured interviews and filled in questionnaires. Patients in the PDs cluster A + B group showed considerable gains, while that was not found for the PDs cluster C and Axis I disorder groups. Since almost all patients received long-term psychotherapy sometimes combined with antidepressant drugs, the finding that such a treatment mainly shows gains in more severely disturbed PDs patients should be replicated in larger samples at ordinary psychiatric outpatient clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]