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Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Individuals with Personality Disorders

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

Introduction

The literature notes that the rise of evidence-based treatments has changed the view that people with a personality disorder (PD) are untreatable (Town et al. 2011). The treatment of personality disorders is a serious concern as it relates to the diminished quality of life for patients and their families, as well as, often being a burden on the clinicians that provide treatment (Kramer and Levy 2016). Efficacy of psychotropic medications as a treatment for PDs is often associated with insignificant reductions in symptoms (Zanarini 2004). However, the use of psychotherapy as a form of treatment for personality disorders has been proven to reduce symptomatology, maladaptive behaviors, and hospital visits. Furthermore, psychotherapy has been proven to improve social and interpersonal functioning (Hadjipavlou and Ogrodniczuk 2010).

Psychotherapy is known to encompass an emphasis on the integration of mental representations of the self and others coupled with realistic and...

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Correspondence to Erlanger A. Turner .

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Turner, E.A., Richardson, J. (2018). Evidence-Based Psychotherapy for Individuals with Personality Disorders. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_937-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_937-1

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