Day treatment, or partial hospitalization, may have unique advantages
for the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder. Such
treatment may offer patients the optimal level of intensiveness and
containment, resulting in less regressive dependency and acting-out
behavior. To be successful in treatment of patients with borderline
personality disorder, a day treatment program should facilitate the
patient's need to experience and express affect safely, optimize the
program's ability to provide less restrictiveness than inpatient treatment
but more sustained and intensive support than outpatient treatment, and use
verbal and nonverbal approaches to help patients maintain primary
responsibility for their well-being. A length of stay of three weeks allows
patients to regain baseline functioning and resume long-term outpatient
care. Treatment goals should be clear and resolvable in three weeks.
Abstract Teaser