The experience of treatment of persons with concomitant psychotic and borderline personality disorders

The present study investigated the treatment experience of nine individuals with concomitant psychotic and borderline personality disorders. Given the paucity of research on the experience of this population, the goal was to explore pathways to care, transitions between services and general perception of treatments using a qualitative methodology. A semi-structured interview schedule was administered to each participant, who was referred by participating psychiatrists in each program. Transcripts were coded using a mixed open and closed coding procedure and QDA Miner 3.2.3 analysis software. Results found that participants did not dichotomise their experience into all-good or all-bad categories, but gave nuanced accounts of their treatment. Each participant described several pathways to care that explained their entry into specific treatments, with only coercion negatively impacting treatment experience. Many transitions were described, though only those who were coerced experienced these negatively. The ...