Deliberate self-harm (DSH) presents a significant health problem, especially as treatments have not been
particularly successful in reducing repetition. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT; Linehan, 1993) is one approach that
has reported some success in reducing self-harm rates in borderline personality disorder patients, who self-harm
frequently, though it remains largely untested outside its original setting. The present study aimed to assess the
effectiveness of DBT in self-harming women in an institutional setting in the United Kingdom where self-harm is
common. Female patients at Rampton Hospital who were displaying self-harming behaviour and met criteria for
borderline personality disorder (N = 10) participated in the full one-year treatment package of DBT. Patients were
assessed on self-harm rates and on a number of psychological variables, pre-, during- and post-therapy, including a
6-month follow-up. There was a significant reduction in DSH during therapy, which was maintained at 6-month
follow-up. This was paralleled by a reduction in dissociative experiences and an increase in survival and coping beliefs,
alongside improvements in depression, suicide ideation, and impulsiveness. The findings are preliminary but the results
suggest that DBT might provide an effective treatment for severe self-harm in institutional settings, and also highlight
some of the psychological mechanisms that might mediate these improvements in self-harming behaviour.
The course of eating disorders in patients with borderline personality disorder: A 10-year follow-up study
