Is there enough treatment for borderline personality disorder to meet the needs?
What is it about?
Several intensive psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder have been shown to be effective, such as dialectical behavior therapy. However, it is unclear whether they can meet demand because of their extensive training requirements and delivery costs. Publicly available data was used to compare the supply of mental healthcare providers to the approximate demand for treatment from people with borderline personality disorder. Findings show that only a few countries worldwide have enough mental healthcare providers to meet demand for treatment of borderline personality disorder. No country worldwide had enough providers certified in intensive psychotherapies for borderline personality disorder to meet demand. These results imply that standards of care for borderline personality disorder cannot rely on intensive manualized psychotherapies alone and briefer and less intensive treatments need to be considered.