Cognitive therapy in the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorders

Cognitive therapy, originally conceived for the treatment of emotional illnesses, has been successively used also in treating patients with more severe mental disorders. In this article, the results obtained by Shearin & Linehan (this volume) in a few controlled trials of dialectical behavior therapy in patients with borderline personality disorders are discussed. Differences between the treatment approach followed by Shearin & Linehan, which focuses on the modification of specific behaviors, and that favored by the author, which is aimed at restructuring dysfunctional working models of self and environment, are highlighted. In the conclusion it is emphasized that the use of a structured, didactic and cognitive-behaviorally oriented approach focused on personal growth might represent an important and much wanted breakthrough in the treatment of the most disturbed patients with a borderline personality disorder.