{"title":"Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy for Treatment of Co-occurring Borderline Personality Disorder and Depression: A Case Study.","authors":"Albert Yeung, Michael Alpert, David Mischoulon","doi":"10.1521/pedi.2025.39.2.170","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by a pervasive pattern of impulsivity, affective dysregulation, and cognitive-perceptual symptoms. Treatment of BPD remains a significant challenge to mental health clinicians. People who suffer from BPD frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders, which makes treatment more complex. This case study describes a course of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) to treat a patient with co-occurring BPD and depression. KAP uses the antidepressant and psychedelic effects of ketamine embedded in a psychotherapy format to utilize the concept of an inner healing intelligence within the patient and the intersubjective relationship between patient and therapist as therapeutic factors. The positive outcomes in this case study suggest that more systematic research is warranted in the use of KAP for treatment of BPD and other personality disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":48175,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Personality Disorders","volume":"39 2","pages":"170-184"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Personality Disorders","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1521/pedi.2025.39.2.170","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a mental health condition characterized by a pervasive pattern of impulsivity, affective dysregulation, and cognitive-perceptual symptoms. Treatment of BPD remains a significant challenge to mental health clinicians. People who suffer from BPD frequently have comorbid psychiatric disorders, which makes treatment more complex. This case study describes a course of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy (KAP) to treat a patient with co-occurring BPD and depression. KAP uses the antidepressant and psychedelic effects of ketamine embedded in a psychotherapy format to utilize the concept of an inner healing intelligence within the patient and the intersubjective relationship between patient and therapist as therapeutic factors. The positive outcomes in this case study suggest that more systematic research is warranted in the use of KAP for treatment of BPD and other personality disorders.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Personality Disorders has long been the only forum devoted exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of clinically significant personality disorders. The journal fosters dialogue among researchers and practitioners working from a variety of orientations and approaches. Its international impact is well established, with subscribers in over 30 countries. This multidisciplinary journal regularly features: - Research on normal and pathological personality and development - New methodologies for assessing personality - Etiologies and clinical classifications for personality disorders - Epidemiological studies and outcomes research on diagnostic criteria - Treatment techniques and innovations