The allocation of patients with personality disorders to a suitable treatment approach: The development of a checklist based on patients’ life stories

Treatment assignment for patients with personality disorders (PDs) involves a complex process consisting of diagnostic assessment and deciding on the most appropriate psychotherapeutic treatment. This article describes the development of a checklist for systematic analysis of life stories to support reflective and transparent assignment of patients to either dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) or schema-focused therapy (SFT). In a first study, an email survey, focus group, and member check were conducted among eight clinical experts to identify relevant dimensions in life stories in patients with PDs. In a second study, a checklist based on these dimensions was developed in three rounds of testing with nine clinical experts and nine psychology students. Checklist results were compared to actual assigned treatment for 20 patients. Systematic evaluation of life stories, is promising in supporting the allocation of patients with PDs to a suitable treatment approach by focusing on specific and consensual dimensions in patients' life stories.