Treatment
personality disorder
The residential treatment in our personality disorder unit is certified by the German DBT Board of Certification (DDBT). As common in DBT settings, patients were seen in outpatient counseling sessions before starting DBT (DBT briefing). The briefing, which lasts one hour, includes examination of the patient, assessment of treatment history, indication for treatment, and assessment of both inclusion and exclusion criteria for treatment. As often as possible, the therapist who provided the briefing also provided the treatment, usually two to three months later. However, due to organizational reasons, this was not always possible; in these cases, another therapist took over after the DBT briefing (documented as a change of therapist). A change of therapist did not occur due to clinical considerations in any case. There were no further contacts after DBT briefing and DBT treatment. Patients were admitted to our ward approximately three months after the DBT briefing and were treated with DBT integrated in a standard residential setting for a total of eight to ten weeks. There was no change of therapist during treatment for any reason (organizational or clinical). Within the sixth week, the discharge date was determined depending on the patient’s progress, goals, and needs.