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Updated: May 8, 2026

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
Published on: March 8, 2018
Treatment of borderline personality disorder in youth
1Institute of Community and Family Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.
Objectives:
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is frequently encountered in both adult and youth populations. There is a robust literature supporting psychotherapy for adults with BPD, but the literature supporting its use for BPD in youth is more limited.
Methods:
A literature review was conducted using the keywords "borderline personality disorders" and "adolescence." Relevant articles were reviewed for inclusion.
Results:
Several specialized treatments have been studied with mixed results. Dialectical behaviour therapy has no randomized controlled trials in adolescents, emotion regulation training has not demonstrated superiority of treatment as usual, and cognitive analytic therapy has demonstrated more rapid recovery but little difference at follow-up. Mentalization-based treatment has one study supporting its use in self-harming adolescents. Pharmacotherapy has no evidence supporting its use in this population.
Conclusions:
Structured therapy may be the most important therapeutic component in this population.
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