Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #103492

Carol McNeill, MFTI, Mobile Medical Office, 301 P Street, Eureka, CO 95501, 707 498-6158, cmcneill@mobilemed.org

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), which is characterized by impulsive and self destructive behavior, emotional lability, and unstable interpersonal relationships; often results in homelessness due to inability to maintain employment and a social support network. Although helpful in alleviating symptoms, neither traditional psychotherapy nor psychoactive medications have been able to change the self defeating behavior patterns which characterize this syndrome. Medical patients with BPD are poorly compliant with care for chronic diseases, present frequently with dramatic physical symptoms without organic basis which require expensive workups, and can singlehandedly burn out a well intentioned clinic staff. The recent development of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) offers new hope for persons with BPD but has generally only been provided in settings inaccessible to people living on the streets. Adaptation of DBT by Health Care for the Homeless staff for use with patrons of a soup kitchen has been enthusiastically accepted by homeless participants with a variety of diagnoses and has decreased problematic interactions between patients with BPD and the clinic staff.

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