People diagnosed with personality disorders have enduring difficulties in their ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that cause serious disruption to their ability to function in society and usually significant degrees of distress. Historically people with personality disorders have been stigmatised and treated at the margins of health services, often ineffectually. Despite great advances in the treatment of personality disorders internationally, Ireland remains markedly under-served with effective treatment options.
The purpose of this position paper is to:
- Identify the prevalence and level of unmet need of personality disorders in Ireland with a focus on adult mental health services
- Review the scientific evidence on treatments for personality disorders and international treatment guidelines
- Establish the current level of service provision for personality disorder in Ireland
- Make recommendations to the Health Service Executive and College of Psychiatrists of Ireland for the further development of personality disorder treatment in Ireland
This paper has been developed by the Personality Disorders Special Interest Group of the College of Psychiatrists of Ireland.