The first three days of July marked a watershed moment in the mental health community as hundreds of clinicians, therapists, researchers, and scholars gathered in Berlin, Germany, for the 1st International Congress on Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The event, comprising a wide range of practice seminars, lectures, and other interactive educational presentations, was organized with the single purpose of exploring the current status of BPD research.
Scientists and clinicians from around the world participated in the congress and presented their latest findings on such topics as treating adolescent BPD, using Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to treat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and teaching mindfulness. The guiding principal behind the congress was to critically examine the attendees’ collected knowledge of BPD, with the goal of inspiring an increased understanding and improved treatment of the disorder.
Another intended purpose of the gathering was a desire to expand the relevance and importance of the BPD diagnosis to gain more funding for research into the disorder. Given the substantial increase in scientific knowledge about the disorder over the past decade alone, the organizers intend to convene the Congress on Borderline Personality Disorder every two years. Organizers of the congress include the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany, the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders, and the European Psychiatric Association.
This international gathering of experts in the field of BPD represents a true milestone, as leaders in the field of BPD research were able to integrate and explore their combined knowledge and provide insight for future development. The very nature of the forum, highlighting the disorder-specific therapy developed for the treatment of BPD, promises the progression of ever-improved models of treatment and care.
Get information on the 2nd International Conference on Borderline Personality Disorder and Allied Disorders in Amsterdam, September 27-29, 2012, here.