M.D. This program studies psychosocial factors affecting the etiology, prognosis, and treatment of psychiatric disorders. A major focus has been the study of personality disorders, their assessment, childhood antecedents, longitudinal stability, and familial environment. Such work has established the criteria and then validated the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, while introducing empirical methods to the study of both the narcissistic and depressive personality types. Current studies involve the longitudinal stability of personality disorders and their relationship to AXIS I disorders and the effectiveness of psychoeducational treatment for families of borderline patients. McLean Hospital, Cambridge Hospital.
Openings are available for departmental trainees.
Building structure for the borderline construct. ACTA Psychiatrica Scandinavica. Family images of borderline adolescents. Ronningstam ER, Gunderson JG, Lyons M. Changes in Pathological Narcissism. Am J Psychiatry.