[Family relatives of persons with borderline personality disorder: a pre-experimental study of a group intervention]

The present study evaluates a standardized group intervention for individuals with a family relative diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or suffering from severe emotional disregulation, impulsive behavior, and interpersonal conflict, as reported by the participants of the study. This study is a preliminary exploratory step toward a future efficacy study. The intervention is based on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy and is structured as a 12-week program that introduces participants to psychoeducation, therapeutic strategies and training skills. An analysis of the degree of caretaker burden and psychological distress among participants was conducted in two phases: before and after the 12-week program. In the first phase, descriptive statistics present a sample of family relatives (n = 42) with a high degree of caretaker burden and intense psychological distress. There were significantly higher rates of burden, distress, and family conflict among the subjects whose family relatives had previous suicide attempts and hospitalizations. Subjects who completed the intervention experienced a reduction in level of burden, psychological distress and somatic symptoms. The findings are useful for designing group interventions for relatives of individuals with borderline personality disorder, and efficacy studies to evaluate them. More is discussed on the psychological factors to be considered for experimental research in this population.