DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A NURSE PRACTITIONER-DIRECTED BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER SCREENING AND DIALECTICAL BEHAVIOR THERAPY REFERRAL PROGRAM IN AN OUTPATIENT MENTAL HEALTH OFFICE

Borderline Personality Disorder is the most common of all personality disorders, and patients suffering from the condition are 60 times more at risk for suicide (Flynn et al., 2019). A literature review revealed dialectical behavior therapy as the most effective evidence-based treatment for BPD (Flynn et al., 2019). Dialectical behavior therapy has been proven to decrease hospitalizations, dropout rates in therapy, and improve social adjustment in patients with borderline personality disorder (Flynn et al., 2019). Various screening tools are available to identify borderline personality disorder. The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice project was to utilize the Mclean Screening Instrument for Borderline Personality Disorder at a small outpatient mental health office to determine if the implementation of a BPD screening tool identified patients eligible for dialectical behavior therapy.