The objectives of the annual Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder Conferences are: 1) the dissemination of scientific information to professionals, consumers, and families for understanding the complex psychiatric condition of borderline personality disorder (BPD); 2) the dissemination of family perspectives to researchers and clinicians to understand the challenges, problems and impact of the disorder on relatives; and 3) the promotion of research in the area of family needs with junior and senior researchers. The need for these family/consumer/researcher/clinician forums is based on the fact that BPD is a severe and persistent psychiatric illness and, to date, no conference has addressed consumer and family perspectives. Ten percent of patients suicide which, along with other behaviors, makes BPD a critical public health problem. Estimated prevalence of BPD in the general population is 2-3%, with 11% of outpatients and 20% of psychiatric inpatients meeting DSM-IV criteria. Families and consumers can benefit from the knowledge of professionals and researchers; professionals and researchers can benefit from the perspectives of families and consumers for treatment and research planning. The two-day conferences build on the first conference From Research to Community: Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder 2002, at Columbia University-College of Physicians and Surgeons. Speakers each year are internationally acknowledged researchers, clinicians and family/consumers each speaking to their areas of expertise, and then responding to questions. The format of the conference, which includes break-out sessions at lunchtime, further promotes discussion. The 2003 conference, Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder: Co-occurring Disorders and BPD, is the second annual conference. The conference for 2004 is entitled Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder: BPD Across the Life-Span. The 2005 conference Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder, BPD across the Waters, will be at Universite de Geneve. The 2006 conference, back in NYC, will be Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality Disorder: BPD and Treatment Options. The 2007 conference restarts the conference series and focuses again on From Research to Community: Family Perspectives on Borderline Personality.
