A controlled trial of psychodynamic psychotherapy for co-occurring borderline personality disorder and alcohol use disorder
Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 27, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Robert J Gregory1, Susan Chlebowski2, David Kang2
1Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Abstract:
A randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine whether a manual-based psychodynamic treatment, labeled dynamic deconstructive psychotherapy (DDP), would be feasible and effective for individuals with co-occurring borderline personality disorder (BPD) and alcohol use disorder. Thirty participants were assessed every 3 months during a year of treatment with either DDP or treatment as usual (TAU) in the community. DDP participants showed statistically significant improvement in parasuicide behavior, alcohol misuse, institutional care, depression, dissociation, and core symptoms of BPD, and treatment retention was 67% to 73%. Although TAU participants received higher average treatment intensity, they showed only limited change during the same period. The results support the feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of DDP for the co-occurring subgroup and highlight the need for further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Borderline Personality Disorder
Genetic and Environmental Contributions
Borderline Personality...
Psychodynamic Therapy
Personality Disorders: Paranoid and Schizoid
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is...
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorder
Biological approach
The biological approach posits that internal, organic factors are the primary causes of such disorders. This perspective emphasizes brain structure and function, genetic predispositions, and neurotransmitter imbalances. For example, schizophrenia has been associated with both genetic...
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy

