A dialectical behavior therapy program for people with an eating disorder and borderline personality disorder—description and outcome

OBJECTIVE: To describe and evaluate a full dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program for people with comorbid eating disorder and borderline personality disorder. The program included a novel skills training module written especially for eating-disordered patients. METHOD: The program was run for 18 months. Days in hospital and major acts of self-harm were counted for the 18 months before and after DBT. RESULTS: There were no dropouts from the program. The patients seemed to benefit. Most patients were neither eating disordered nor self-harming at follow-up. DISCUSSION: Full DBT is an expensive and demanding treatment but deserves consideration for patients with an eating disorder and co-morbid borderline personality disorder and self-harm. There is a need for a more systematic and thorough evaluation.