Gender differences in treatment effectiveness for borderline personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a psychological disorder that is diagnosed predominantly in females yet is equally as prevalent in males. Many empirical research studies on the treatment of BPD have been conducted with only female participants. We aimed to investigate the impact of current treatments for BPD on men compared to women. Using data from a larger ongoing longitudinal study, we matched 48 males with 48 females in treatment on age, overall functioning and psychological distress at intake and then accessed their progress in treatment after 12 months. Controlling for the initial scores at baseline, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) analysis found significant differences in outcome measures at 12-months follow-up. Females had significantly greater improvements in BPD severity and greater improvements in internalizing symptoms such as chronic feelings of emptiness. Females also reported significantly greater satisfaction and ratings of health at follow-up. These findings suggest that current treatment as usual for BPD could be more effective for women compared to men. Results from the study highlight the need for future studies to investigate the experience of males in current BPD treatment and to identify potential areas for modification to better cater to this population.