Personality Disorders and Nursing Interventions - Part I

Personality is, for the most part, unconsciously acquired behavioral patterns and manner of perception and thought. It manifests itself automatically in every function of the individual and does not change easily. The healthy development of personality passes through complicated and sometimes risky processes that are affected by a number of factors, such as genetic, family and environmental factors. The deficiencies, traumas and disorders that are experienced during these processes may cause disorders in personality development by hindering the integration of many parts that constitute psychological structure. The treatment of personality disorders involves, primarily, psychotherapy, but medication and, if necessary, hospitalization together with medication might be employed. The recovery in general is a long process. Frequent hospitalization might be necessary. Working with inpatients with psychological disorders has its own drawbacks for the psychiatric team and nurses who provide for their full-time care. The foremost of these is the difficulties faced in maintaining the therapeutic framework, which is the psychoanalytic/psychotherapeutic environment created by the treatment arrangements and involving the agreements regarding the duties of the patient and the therapist, and the place, time and duration of interviews. Nurses can foster this therapeutic relationship by special patient-based care plans that also maintain the framework. This review contains two parts that are intended to guide the nurses who work with patients with personality disorders and the psychiatric nursing students. In the first section, we aimed to provide information on personality disorders, the clinical features and treatment process. The second part addresses the most frequently seen nursing diagnoses, goals and nursing interventions