Psychopharmacological treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder: comparing data from routine clinical care with recommended guidelines.

Conclusions: The present study shows that in routine clinical care settings psychotropic medications are frequently prescribed to patients with BPD, very often resulting in polypharmacy. A positive association between the number of medications and the effectiveness of the inpatient treatment program, as well as the absence of a relationship between number of medications and comorbidity contradicts the often suggested iatrogenic effect of polypharmacy. Key points Guidelines for pharmacotherapy of borderline personality disorders lack consensus Yet, clinicians frequently prescribe psychotropic medications to BPD patients Types/number of medications prescribed to patients with vs. without comorbidities are similar Larger treatment effects are observed for patients with greater numbers of medications Further knowledge is needed about how and why clinicians prescribe medications. PMID: 31140337 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract Source Type: research