Date of Award

6-17-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Medical Science (MMSc)

First Advisor

Sarah Fineberg, MD, PhD

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by interpersonal instability and behavior dysregulation that leads to difficulty obtaining employment. First-line psychotherapies improve psychopathology but have little effect on vocational outcomes. Individual Placement and Support, an international employment program for people with mental illness, improves employment rates in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but it has never been studied in borderline personality disorder. Therefore, we aim to examine the effectiveness of Individual Placement and Support on improving vocational outcomes in adults with borderline personality disorder. In this randomized controlled trial, we will compare vocational outcomes among adults with borderline personality disorder who receive six months of Individual Placement and Support services and Dialectical Behavior Therapy versus Dialectical Behavior Therapy alone. These efforts stand to support the utility of supplementing traditional psychotherapies with supported employment services for people with borderline personality disorder, thus promoting functional improvement in addition to symptomatic remission.

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