Treatment of borderline personality disorder in adolescents

The chapter describes how STEPPS has been modified for the adolescent population in The Netherlands. Emotion regulation training (ERT) provides a group therapy experience for adolescents that consists of 17 weekly sessions, one session with family members and “important others” and two booster sessions for the adolescents at 6 and 12 weeks following treatment. The three phases of treatment include psychoeducation and problem solving techniques; helping the group members see the connection between their character/temperament and their emotions and behavior; focusing on improving lifestyle choices (e.g. eating, sleeping, relationships, avoiding substance abuse). The chapter includes an overview of the ERT protocol, briefly reviews the data from recent clinical trials, and discusses future opportunities for this field. The goal was to implement a program that would help prevent long-term consequences of borderline personality disorder.