Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Individuals With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review of Outcomes After One Year of Follow-Up

Abstract

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has a growing evidence base for treating individuals with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Less is known about the long-term effects of the treatment, which is an important consideration when treating a chronic disorder such as BPD. The current systematic review explores outcomes after 1 year of follow-up for individuals who engaged in DBT. A systematic search of four databases (PsycInfo, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL) was performed. Controlled and uncontrolled studies were included. A total of 10 articles were identified pertaining to seven primary research studies. Overall, improvements following treatment with DBT extended over the follow-up period. These findings suggest that the effects of DBT in treating BPD are maintained at least 1 to 2 years postintervention. Given a lack of long-term follow-up in randomized controlled trials, evidence for the efficacy of DBT in the longer term is unclear.