Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Intervention in Personality Disorders
Other languages of instruction: Catalan, English
Teaching staff
Students may contact both the subject coordinator and their tutor by e-mail. Tutorials may be done online depending on the availability of the tutor and student. The student is responsible for contacting the tutor to schedule the tutorials.
Introduction
Currently, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is considered the personality disorder with the greatest impact in the healthcare field due to its clinical severity and high prevalence. It is estimated to affect between 1% and 2% of the general population and may affect between 10 and 20% of all psychiatric patients.
The subject Intervention in personality disorders provides the knowledge and content necessary to develop the theoretical, technical and practical skills to carry out a good diagnosis. The aim of the content is to help students acquire basic knowledge of the different treatments with scientific evidence in the treatment of patients with BPD.
The competences include the differential diagnosis of BPD in relation to other psychiatric pathologies, diagnosis of comorbid disorders and the application of the appropriate psychotherapeutic strategy in each case.
Pre-course requirements
There are no prerequisites to enrol in this subject.
Objectives
The main aims of this subject are to help students reinforce and integrate their general knowledge of the structural diagnosis of personality. Structural diagnosis makes it possible to select the most appropriate type of treatment, including symptomatic diagnosis. And it allows for a prognostic estimate based on level of severity.
BPD is considered a disorder of high diagnostic and therapeutic complexity. For this reason, in order to improve the prognosis of those who suffer from this disorder, it is essential to be able to carry out an early diagnosis, identify disorders that interfere with its evolution and know how to apply the basic strategies of the therapies with the greatest scientific evidence.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CB7 - Students should be able to apply their knowledge and ability to solve problems in new or little-known environments, within broader (or multidisciplinary) contexts related to their area of study.
- CB8 - Students should be able to integrate their knowledge and cope with the complexity of formulating judgements based on information that, being incomplete or limited, includes reflection on the social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgements.
- CB9 - Students should be able to communicate their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments supporting these conclusions in a clear and unambiguous manner to specialised and non-specialised audiences.
- CE1 - Acquire, develop and implement an integrative health concept, where the biopsychosocial components of health are included, in accordance with the guidelines established by the WHO.
- CE10 - Know how to communicate with other professionals and master the skills necessary for to teamwork and in multidisciplinary groups.
- CE12 - Extensive understanding of the psychological nature of human behaviour, as well as the social and biological factors that can affect it.
- CE13 - Extensive understanding of the psychological nature of human behaviour disorders.
- CE14 - Extensive understanding of the psychosocial factors associated with health problems and disease.
- CE15 - Extensive understanding of the biological and psychosocial factors associated with health and disease issues, especially those related to mental health.
- CE16 - Extensive understanding of the different evaluation and intervention models in the field of General Health Psychology, as well as the techniques and procedures derived therefrom to address behavioural disorders and the psychological factors associated with health problems in different contexts (private, primary care, community, crisis and emergency situations).
- CE17 - Plan, execute and, if necessary, supervise the psychological evaluation process of human behaviour and the psychological factors associated with health problems in order to establish the evaluation of them.
- CE18 - Design, develop and, if necessary, supervise and evaluate psychological intervention plans and programmes, based on psychological evaluation and the individual and social concurrent variables and apply it in different contexts (private, primary care, community, and crisis and emergency situations).
- CE2 - Apply the fundamentals of bioethics and the method of deliberation in professional practice, aligning their practice as a health professional to the provisions of Law 44/2003, of 21 November, on the organisation of the healthcare professions.
- CE21 - Carry out promotional and educational activities for individual and community psychological health.
- CE3 - Show interpersonal communication and emotional management skills appropriate for effective interaction with patients, family members and caregivers in the processes of identification, evaluation, diagnosis communication and psychological intervention and follow-up of the problem.
- CE7 - Formulate working hypotheses in research and collect and critically evaluate information to solve problems, applying the scientific method.
- CE8 - Know the framework for action of the general health psychologist in different contexts and know how to refer patients to the respective specialised professional.
- CE9 - Develop their work from the perspective of quality and continuous improvement, with the self-critical capacity necessary for responsible professional performance.
- CG4 - Know how to work and interact in multidisciplinary groups in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT1 - Evaluate inequalities based on sex and gender, to design mechanisms for achieving real equality, avoiding partial and discriminatory interpretations in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT2 - Implement strategies to promote gender equality, equity and respect for human rights in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT3 - Demonstrate ethical and professional commitment to civic and social responsibilities, especially regarding equality between people and respect for diversity in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT6 - Generate inclusive environments for sustainable development effectively at all levels in the clinical and healthcare field.
- CT7 - Show critical ability in assessing one’s own work as well as that of other professionals using clinical information sources.
- CT8 - Identify personal and professional limitations in the practice of their profession.
Learning outcomes of the subject
- To gain an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the pathological organisation of personality and its relationship with bond disorders.
- To identify the different types of personality disorders and their defence mechanisms.
- To develop processes to explore, diagnose, hypothesise and create therapeutic plans for personality disorders.
- To become familiar with the most common comorbid disorders and their differential diagnosis.
- To use effective therapeutic alliance instruments with patients with personality disorders and their families.
- To properly conduct individual and family interviews for treating personality disorders.
- To become familiar with the tactics, techniques and strategies for managing difficult situations, self-harm and suicidal crises.
- To recognise countertransference in individual and family interviews for treating personality disorders.
- To be able to carry out appropriate therapeutic indications for different clinical situations based on the prognosis.
- To have knowledge of the different therapeutic intervention techniques used to treat personality disorders and apply them based on the clinical profile.
Syllabus
- Guide for exploring, diagnosing, hypothesising and developing a therapeutic plan for personality disorders.
- Attachment disorder, failures in the reflective function and relationships through pathological dyads in personality disorders.
- Specific types of personality disorders.
- Scientific evidence-based therapeutic models in personality disorders.
- The management of the therapeutic alliance with the patient and their family in personality disorders.
- Guide for developing hypotheses that makes it possible to conduct individual and family interviews in personality disorders.
- Individual, couple and parent-related aspects with relatives of patients affected by personality disorders.
- Preparation of a therapeutic contract
- Useful tactics, techniques and strategies for treating patients with personality disorders.
- Transference and countertransference analysis in individual and family interviews in personality disorders.
- Network and organisational therapy techniques in personality disorders.
Class 1 Welcome inauguration/subject organisation/assessment/introduction to the pathological organisation of personality Teresa Ribalta
Class 2 Link disorder, reflective function and object relationship and organisation of pathological dyads Teresa Ribalta
Class 3 Severe defence mechanisms Teresa Ribalta
Class 4 Structural interview Teresa Ribalta
Class 5 Processes of consolidation of the diffusion of identity and the role of the family Alfons Icart
Class 6 Diagnostic interviews SCID and DIB-R. Review of the main self-reports/ Early diagnosis among adolescents/ STIPO R/IPOP/ Brenda Tarragona
Class 7 Comorbidity of BPD with ADHD and SUD, affective D. and anxiety D. among children and adolescents Brenda Tarragona
Class 8 Self-harm and suicidal crises Brenda Tarragona
Class 9 Therapies with scientific evidence DBT MBT Teresa Ribalta
Class 10 Therapies with scientific evidence TFP Teresa Ribalta
Class 11 Observation of specialised supervision for patients with pathological personality organisation *Teresa Ribalta (coordinator)
Class 12 Observation of specialised supervision for patients with pathological personality organisation *Teresa Ribalta (coordinator)
Class 13 Observation of specialised supervision for patients with pathological personality organisation *Teresa Ribalta (coordinator)
Class 14 Observation of specialised supervision for patients with pathological personality organisation *Teresa Ribalta (coordinator)
Class 15 Discussion of supervision, doubts and clinical practice. Closure Teresa Ribalta
Teaching and learning activities
In person
The methodology will include: guided, supervised and autonomous activities.
Guided activities:
- Lectures by the teacher using different teaching media
- Observation of clinical cases in the supervisions, which will be carried out online in cooperation with Professor Otto Kernberg, former director of the PDI Personality Disorders Institute in New York or with a professional certified as a supervisor by Professor Kernberg with more than 15 years of experience. This activity is mandatory
- In-class group dynamics
Supervised activities:
- Guided readings
- Online tutorials at the request of the student with the teachers or tutor
Autonomous activities:
- Readings
- Personal study and preparation for the final exam
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
The assessment will reflect the knowledge acquired and the objectives achieved by the students.
Assessment items:
First sitting
Assessment activity 1: This assessment activity will involve an examination with evaluation rubrics that standardise the assessment criteria. It will assess the learning outcomes, including knowledge, comprehension and application items. This activity accounts for 70% of the final mark. To pass the course, students must earn a mark of 5 or higher.
Assessment activity 2: Attendance and individual participation in the classes and group dynamics. Oral and written participation. Supervision attendance. This activity accounts for 30% of the mark. Students must present a summary of each supervision. The supervisions will be recorded, and in the event the students are able to justify their absence, they will have one week to access the recording and complete the summary. The abstract should be no longer than one A4-size sheet of paper: Word Format: A4 size, margins 3 cm.; font Arial 12; headings and subheadings in bold; single spacing; justify.
Second sitting
In the event students are required to repeat the exam, it will not be necessary to repeat assessment activity 2 if it has been successfully completed.
Important regulatory aspects:
- Classes start on time, and students may not enter once the door has been closed.
- Class attendance is not mandatory, but may be taken into consideration in the final mark, except in the case of the supervisions, which is a mandatory activity.
- Papers must follow the APA format
- Points will be deducted for spelling or grammar mistakes on assignments or on the final exam.
- Exam dates are not subject to change, and exams may not be repeated.
- If a student is seen cheating on an exam, they will be required to repeat the subject the following year. It is considered a very serious offense.