Living With Borderline Personality Disorder

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in one person impacts the entire family. Disruption of family, work and personal life, and the burden of worrying about the well-being of the person with BPD, are a few of many difficult issues for family members. The Living with Borderline Personality Disorder educational video series will provide family members with an overview of BPD, current research on BPD treatments, how some families can learn to cope with the disorder and why the outcome for individuals with BPD is may be more hopeful than once believed. Using the existing technology of video to address an important and overlooked public health problem-the negative impact of BPD on family members-is an innovative concept in that there are currently no available video programs specifically designed for family members affected by BPD. Our hypothesis is that family members who view the Living with Borderline Personality Disorder series will experience: (1) an increase in knowledge about BPD; (2) an increase in their sense of empowerment in dealing with BPD; (3) a reduction in their subjective burden; and (4) a greater sense of hopefulness about the future for themselves and their relative with BPD. The specific aims of this proposal are to: 1) Develop the complete content for the Living with Borderline Personality Disorder educational video series for family members, including four 30-minute video programs and a printed viewer guidebook; 2) Design and produce the four 30-minute video programs and the printed viewer guidebook; 3) Conduct a randomized controlled field trial to measure changes, after exposure to the Living with Borderline Personality Disorder series, in family members' level of knowledge regarding BPD, their sense of empowerment, their level of emotional burden, and their level of hopefulness compared to a control group; 4) Obtain appraisals of the educational value and appropriateness of the program by BPD researchers, clinicians, family advocates, and family members who have a relative with BPD. The 2006 Omnibus Solicitation for SBIR and STTR Grant Applications states that "the mission of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is to diminish the burden of mental illness through research.... the NIMH is also concerned with the speedy dissemination and use of this knowledge through scientific communications and public education. There is a general need to develop reliable and inexpensive products that can serve these needs." We believe this product, which is based on a great deal of NIMH funded research, promotes that mission. A diagnosis of BPD in one person impacts the entire family. Disruption of family, work, and personal life, and the burden of worrying about the well-being of the person with BPD, are a few of many difficult issues for family members. The Living with Borderline Personality Disorder is an educational video series for family members that provides them with an overview of BPD, current research on BPD treatments, ways families can learn to cope with BPD and reasons to feel more hopeful about the outcome for their relative with this disorder. Using the existing technology of video to address this important and overlooked health problem is an innovative concept in that there are currently no available video programs specifically designed for family members affected by BPD.