Working effectively with people who have received a diagnosis of personality disorder

Elliott, Alison; Lamph, Gary; Kendall, Zoe

Abstract

Personality disorder is a contentious diagnostic label that is associated with high levels of stigma, leading many practitioners and people with lived experience to call for a change in its use. Mental health nurses frequently encounter people who have received a diagnosis of personality disorder in various settings. This article provides a critique of this diagnosis and discusses the issues that are associated with this label. It explores alternative conceptualisations of personality disorder and emphasises the importance of formulation as a tool for making sense of service users’ past experiences. The article also details evidence-based interventions, trauma-informed care and interpersonal approaches that may be beneficial when working with this client group.

Citation

Elliott, A., Lamph, G., & Kendall, Z. (2023). Working effectively with people who have received a diagnosis of personality disorder. Mental Health Practice, 26(4), 34-41. https://doi.org/10.7748/mhp.2023.e1634

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 14, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 10, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-07
• Deposit Date: Feb 26, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 26, 2024
• Journal: Mental Health Practice
• Print ISSN: 1465-8720
• Publisher: RCN Publishing (RCNi)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 26
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 34-41
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/mhp.2023.e1634
• Keywords: borderline personality disorder - mental health - patient experience - patients - personality disorders - professional - stigma
• Publisher URL: https://journals.rcni.com/mental-health-practice/cpd/working-effectively-with-people-who-have-received-a-diagnosis-of-personality-disorder-mhp.2023.e1634/full
• Related Public URLs: https://clok.uclan.ac.uk/46740/