Neuroscience research suggests that individuals with borderline personality disorder process emotional experiences through aberrant neural pathways in the brain.
They are less likely to use pathways involving higher-level cortical regions responsible for episodic memory, integration, verbalization, mood regulation, and perspective-taking.
In a small, randomized controlled trial of DDP for co-occurring BPD and alcohol use disorder, clients receiving DDP achieved significantly greater improvement in symptoms of BPD, depression, and social functioning than clients receiving community-based treatment of equal intensity.
[11] An observational study comparing naturalistic outcomes of DDP and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in treatment refractory clients seen at a medical university clinic indicated significantly better improvement for clients treated with DDP than DBT across a broad range of outcomes, including symptoms of BPD, depression, disability, and self-harm.
[12] After an independent review by the U.S. government's Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), DDP was included on its (now defunct) National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) (see www.nrepp.samhsa.gov).