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BACKGROUND: Studies of the medium- to long-term clinical and functional course for treatment-seeking adolescents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are lacking. This study aims to outline the psychopathological and functional status of participants, five years after being diagnosed with BPD during adolescence. METHODS: Participants were originally enrolled in a randomized clinical trial that compared mentalization-based group treatment with treatment as usual for adolescents with BPD. Semi-structured interview assessments at five-year follow-up included the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), alcohol, substance and tobacco use, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex PTSD, and general functioning were assessed using self-report instruments. RESULTS: 97 of the original sample of 111 participants (87%) participated. They were aged 19-23 years. The most prevalent disorders were ADHD (59%), any personality disorder (47%) of which half continued to meet criteria for BPD (24%), anxiety disorders (37%), depressive disorders (32%), PTSD or complex PTSD (20%), schizophrenia (16%), and eating disorders (13%). Only 16% did not meet criteria for any mental disorder. Approximately half of the sample were in psychological and/or psychopharmacological treatment at the time of follow-up. Their general functioning remained impaired, with 36% not engaged in education, employment or training (NEET), which is nearly four times the rate of NEET in the same age group in the general population. CONCLUSIONS: Although stability of the categorical BPD diagnosis is modest, adolescents meeting diagnostic criteria for BPD show a broad range of poor outcomes at five-year follow-up. BPD appears to be a marker of general maladjustment during adolescence and a harbinger of severe problems during the transition to young adulthood. Early intervention p

Objective Information on borderline personality disorder (BPD) and its comorbidities is often limited to concentrate on a few diagnoses. The aim of the study was to use national register data to investigate all diagnostic co-occurring mental health disorders and somatic diseases 3 years before and after initial BPD diagnosis compared with a matched control group. Method The study was a register-based cohort of 2756 patients with incident BPD (ICD F60.3) and 11,024 matched controls, during 2002–2016. Comorbidity data were classified into main disease groups, in accordance with the World Health Organization ICD-10 criteria. Results Almost half the patients had been diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders before the BPD diagnosis as compared to 3% in the control group. Further, the co-occurrence of diseases due to external causes of morbidity, including injury, self-harm, and poisoning were more represented in the BPD group before diagnosis as compared to the control group. In addition, co-occurring morbidity related to diseases in the circulatory, the respiratory, the digestive, the musculoskeletal, and the genitourinary system was more represented in the BPD group. After diagnosis, the proportion of patients with co-occurring morbidity increased further in all main disease groups in the BPD group. As many as 87% of patients had mental and behavioral co-occurring morbidity and 15% nervous diseases as compared with 3% and 4%, respectively, in the control group. Also, comorbidities related to external causes of morbidity, including for example, injury and self-harm were more represented in the BPD group. The BPD group had more somatic co-occurring morbidity, especially digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and endocrine diseases. Finally, the mortality over 12 years was statistically significantly higher in people with BPD than in the control group. Conclusion Patients with BPD have higher odds for multiple physical healt, Objective: Information on borderline personality disorder (BPD) and its comorbidities is often limited to concentrate on a few diagnoses. The aim of the study was to use national register data to investigate all diagnostic co-occurring mental health disorders and somatic diseases 3 years before and after initial BPD diagnosis compared with a matched control group. Method: The study was a register-based cohort of 2756 patients with incident BPD (ICD F60.3) and 11,024 matched controls, during 2002–2016. Comorbidity data were classified into main disease groups, in accordance with the World Health Organization ICD-10 criteria. Results: Almost half the patients had been diagnosed with mental and behavioral disorders before the BPD diagnosis as compared to 3% in the control group. Further, the co-occurrence of diseases due to external causes of morbidity, including injury, self-harm, and poisoning were more represented in the BPD group before diagnosis as compared to the control group. In addition, co-occurring morbidity related to diseases in the circulatory, the respiratory, the digestive, the musculoskeletal, and the genitourinary system was more represented in the BPD group. After diagnosis, the proportion of patients with co-occurring morbidity increased further in all main disease groups in the BPD group. As many as 87% of patients had mental and behavioral co-occurring morbidity and 15% nervous diseases as compared with 3% and 4%, respectively, in the control group. Also, comorbidities related to external causes of morbidity, including for example, injury and self-harm were more represented in the BPD group. The BPD group had more somatic co-occurring morbidity, especially digestive, respiratory, circulatory, and endocrine diseases. Finally, the mortality over 12 years was statistically significantly higher in people with BPD than in the control group. Conclusion: Patients with BPD have higher odds for multiple physical health conditions and co-occurrence of me

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is recommended as the frontline treatment for depression and anxiety disorders and has been implemented in a wide range of mental health care contexts. In Danish mental health services, group CBT is the most common psychotherapeutic treatment format. Recently, a standardized, time-restricted treatment format has been implemented. No studies have investigated the patients' experiences of group CBT in such a format. Furthermore, few studies have investigated patients' experiences of group CBT for anxiety and depression. The current study set out to explore patients' experiences of group CBT for anxiety and depression and the role of a standardized, time-restricted treatment format, using a qualitative framework.We explored the experiences of 23 patients with a primary diagnosis of social anxiety, panic disorder/agoraphobia, or depression. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using phenomenological narrative analysis. The results revealed a common narrative across the 23 interviews. The narrative was made up of six distinct themes, namely: How did I get here?; Being seen, heard and recognized; Shared responsibility of problems and solutions; Education and tools; Limitations of this group format; and Launchpad. The results indicated that the patients found group CBT helpful due to a range of factors, both common factors and treatment-specific factors. Patients expressed skepticism towards group CBT prior to beginning, because of a lack of information and previous failed treatment attempts. The patients highlighted the importance of the context of the mental health system by explaining how systemic factors impacted negatively on their psychotherapy experience. Many described feeling abandoned due to the sudden ending of a treatment course that was generally considered insufficient.

Objective: Individual patient characteristics are important in trying to understand why people respond differently to group CBT. Only a few studies have explored therapists’ perceptions of within-patient attributes that may be hindering in group CBT in a mental health setting. Method: We explored the perception of individual patient characteristics and related obstacles in 12 psychotherapists in Danish Mental Health Services through semi-structured interviews. The interviews were analyzed using a descriptive qualitative framework. Results: The results revealed four distinct themes that the therapists pointed to as important for the outcome of a 14-week group CBT intervention for social phobia, panic disorder, agoraphobia and major depressive disorder. The four themes were Complexity & severity, External circumstances, Attitudes & coping and Cognitive ability & reflection level. The therapists explained how they perceived higher complexity and severity in the patients as an obstacle, they highlighted that a calm and stable outside environment aided therapeutic change, whilst stressors were hindering. They perceived active coping mechanisms, positive attitudes and high readiness to change as positive factors, whilst dependent and hostile coping mechanisms and negative attitudes were seen as obstacles. Finally, the therapists pointed to cognitive abilities and reflection level, explaining how it could be difficult to obtain good outcomes for patients who’s cognitive abilities were debilitated due to psychopathological factors or for patients with a generally low reflection level. Conclusions: The results indicated that the therapists experience group CBT as an intervention that requires certain prerequisites of the patients, and that the four themes should be considered when deciding on treatment options for any given patient. The clinical utility and theoretical implications of the results are discussed.

Objectives: This study investigated the frequency of traumatic experiences, prevalence rates of ICD-11 post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD), and overlap with ICD-10 classified disorders in outpatient psychiatry. Method: Overall, 165 Danish psychiatric outpatients answered the International Trauma Questionnaire, the Life Event Checklist, and the World Health Organization Well-being Index. ICD-10 diagnoses were extracted from the hospital record. Chi-square analysis, t-tests, and conditional probability analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: Nearly, all patients (94%) had experienced at least one traumatic event. CPTSD (36%) was more common than PTSD (8%) and had considerable overlap with ICD-10 affective, anxiety, PTSD, personality, adjustment and stress-reaction disorders, and behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence. ICD-11 PTSD overlapped with ICD-10 anxiety, PTSD, adjustment and stress-reaction disorders, and behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence. A subgroup of patients with ICD-10 PTSD (23%) did not meet criteria for ICD-11 PTSD or CPTSD. Conclusion: Traumatic experiences are common. ICD-11 CPTSD is a highly prevalent disorder in psychiatric outpatients. One quarter with ICD-10 PTSD did not meet criteria for either ICD-11 PTSD or CPTSD. PTSD and CPTSD had considerable overlap with ICD-10 disorders.