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Pharmacotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder—Current Evidence and Recent Trends

  • Personality Disorders (C Schmahl, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Drug treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) is common but mostly not supported by evidence from high-quality research. This review summarises the current evidence up to August 2014 and also aims to identify research trends in terms of ongoing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) as well as research gaps. There is some evidence for beneficial effects by second-generation antipsychotics, mood stabilisers and omega-3 fatty acids, while the overall evidence base is still unsatisfying. The dominating role SSRI antidepressants usually play within the medical treatment of BPD patients is neither reflected nor supported by corresponding evidence. Any drug treatment of BPD patients should be planned and regularly evaluated against this background of evidence. Research trends indicate increasing attention to alternative treatments such as dietary supplementation by omega-3 fatty acids or oxytocin.

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Jutta M. Stoffers and Klaus Lieb declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Jutta M. Stoffers & Klaus Lieb

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Personality Disorders

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Stoffers, J.M., Lieb, K. Pharmacotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder—Current Evidence and Recent Trends. Curr Psychiatry Rep 17, 534 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-014-0534-0

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