Evidence-Based Practice Archives

What Does the Research Say About Treatment? Exploring CPTSD and BPD When I began exploring the relationship between Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) for my postgraduate Traumatology dissertation, one question became increasingly important to me: if these conditions can overlap, how do we ensure that people receive the most appropriate therapeutic support? Understanding the similarities and differences between diagnoses is important, but it is only part of the picture. We also need to consider what the research tells us about treatment, where the evidence remains uncertain, and why an individualised approach matters. In this eighth article in my series exploring the research behind my dissertation, I revisit some of the treatment literature I examined in my January 2022 review. This is a reflection on that literature rather than a comprehensive review of all the research available today. Why does the distinction between CPTSD and BPD matter for treatment? CPTSD and BPD can share features such as difficulties with emotional regulation, relationship...

How Reliable Is the Research into CPTSD and BPD? Understanding the Evidence Research methods, measurement and why findings don't always agree When exploring the relationship between Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), it is tempting to look for a definitive answer. Are these distinct conditions? How often do they occur together? Can research reliably distinguish between them? Yet, as I discovered while undertaking my postgraduate Traumatology dissertation, answering these questions requires more than simply comparing the conclusions of published studies. We also need to consider how the research was conducted, who took part, how symptoms were measured and whether different studies were investigating the same things. In this sixth article in my research series, I explore some of the methodological challenges identified in my literature review and why they matter when interpreting evidence about CPTSD and BPD. Why do research methods matter? Research findings are shaped not only by the questions being asked but also by the methods used to answer them. When studies...