Examining the Efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in the Treatment of Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 522-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Lopez ◽  
Jill A. Stoddard ◽  
Andrew Noorollah ◽  
Giovanna Zerbi ◽  
Laura A. Payne ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Shannon Sauer-Zavala ◽  
Kate H. Bentley ◽  
Julianne G. Wilner

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe, difficult-to-treat psychiatric condition that represents a large proportion of treatment-seeking individuals. This disorder is characterized by high rates of co-occurrence with depressive and anxiety disorders, and recent explanations for this comorbidity suggest that these disorders share biological vulnerabilities and functional maintenance factors. Given the commonalities among BPD and other emotional disorders, the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) was clinically applied to five individuals who met criteria for BPD and at least one comorbid emotional disorder. This chapter will highlight the theoretical rationale for considering BPD an emotional disorder, underscoring the use of the UP with this population. In addition, detailed case presentations of two individuals with BPD treated with the UP will be presented to illustrate the ways in which UP skills can be flexibly applied within this diagnostic group.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle E. Lopez ◽  
Steven R. Thorp ◽  
Matthew Dekker ◽  
Andrew Noorollah ◽  
Giovanna Zerbi ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study used a single case experimental design to investigate the use of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) among a sample of individuals with depression and anxiety who also presented with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Eight women received individual treatment with the UP over the course of 14–16 treatment sessions, and were assessed for anxiety and depression severity on a weekly basis over a 2–6 week baseline period and throughout treatment. Three of the eight participants demonstrated reliable pre- to post-treatment clinical improvements on depression and stress scales, and one participant demonstrated a reliable reduction on an anxiety scale. Two participants demonstrated a reliable improvement in overall anxiety. The results indicate that the UP applied to individuals diagnosed with primary BPD may lead to clinical improvement in depression, stress and anxiety for some individuals. However, the majority of individuals with BPD in our sample did not show strong improvement, and this suggests the need for additional sessions of UP or an intervention that focuses on the symptoms of BPD specifically for some women.Key learning aims (1)To describe the applicability of the Unified Protocol in the treatment of individuals with borderline personality and co-occurring anxiety or depression.(2)To understand the value of utilizing a transdiagnostic approach as an alternative to diagnosis-specific approaches to treatment.(3)To identify the four core modules of the Unified Protocol and describe the general format for individual treatment.


Author(s):  
David H. Barlow ◽  
Todd J. Farchione ◽  
Shannon Sauer-Zavala ◽  
Heather Murray Latin ◽  
Kristen K. Ellard ◽  
...  

The Unified Protocol (UP) for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders: Therapist Guide is a treatment programv applicable to all anxiety and unipolar depressive disorders and potentially other disorders with strong emotional components (e.g., eating disorders, borderline personality disorder). The UP for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders addresses neuroticism by targeting the aversive, avoidant reactions to emotions that, while providing relief in the short term, increase the likelihood of future negative emotions and maintains disorder symptoms. The strategies included in this treatment are largely based on common principles found in existing empirically supported psychological treatments—namely, fostering mindful emotion awareness, reevaluating automatic cognitive appraisals, changing action tendencies associated with the disordered emotions, and utilizing emotion exposure procedures. The focus of these core skills has been adjusted to specifically address core negative responses to emotional experiences.


1998 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dacher Keltner ◽  
Ann M. Kring

The studies of emotion function and emotional disorders complement one another. In this article, the authors outline relations between the social functions of emotion and four psychological disorders. The authors first present a social-functional account of emotion and argue that emotions help coordinate social interactions through their informative, evocative, and incentive functions. They then review evidence concerning the emotional and social problems related to depression, schizophrenia, social anxiety, and borderline personality disorder and consider how the emotional disturbances related to these disorders disrupt interactions and relationships, thus contributing further to the maintenance of the disorder. They conclude by discussing research strategies relevant to the study of emotion, social interaction, and psychopathology.


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