The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders defines the main features of borderline personality disorder (BPD) as impulsive behavior and instability of emotions, interpersonal relationships, and self-image, and specifies nine criteria to demonstrate the presence of these features. Mental health conditions are the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) worldwide and account for 37% of healthy life lost from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Personality disorder (PD) as it is currently classified, affects around 6% of the world population, and the differences between countries show no consistent variation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2004, an estimated 25% of adults in the United States reported having a mental illness in the previous year. In 2002 and 2003, mental illness cost the United States an estimated $300 billion annually, which included approximately $193 billion from lost earnings and wages, $24 billion benefits in 2002, and $100 billion in healthcare expenditures in 2003. The objectives of this project are: 1) to provide basic information and education to the providers on the implementations of evidence-based psychopharmacology CPGs for BPD using the National Institutes for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) psychopharmacology treatment algorithms. 2) to improve the understanding of the BPD diagnostic process using the DSM V diagnostic criteria and to incorporate the CPGs into practice.
