Psychoeducation of Borderline Patients

Recent research suggests that BPD is a common, serious but treatable disorder with a better than previously recognized prognosis. Despite these findings, many patients with BPD are not given the borderline diagnosis by the mental health professionals treating them. It is also true that many newly diagnosed borderline patients are not provided with up-to-date information on the disorder even though psychoeducation has been found to be a useful form of treatment for other serious psychiatric illnesses. The investigators have conducted a preliminary randomized trial of psychoeducation for BPD that found that those provided with immediate psychoeducation had a significantly greater reduction in two core symptoms of BPD--general impulsivity and stormy relationships--than those with delayed psychoeducation. However, both instruction and assessment of change over time were conducted in person by paraprofessionals. The importance of the current study is that it will allow the investigators to develop and test the efficacy of an internet-based program of psychoeducation for BPD that will be both cost efficient and easy to disseminate widely, particularly to underserved populations.