[Oxytocin and maltreatment potential : Influence of maternal depression, borderline personality disorder and experience of early childhood maltreatment]. / Oxytocin und Misshandlungspotenzial : Einfluss von mütterlicher Depression, Borderline-Persönlichkeitsstörung und frühkindlicher Misshandlungserfahrung.

BACKGROUND: The "empathy hormone" oxytocin (OXT) is associated with social interaction and parent-child interaction. Mothers with mental stress factors, e.g., history of depression, borderline personality disorder or early life maltreatment in their own childhood often show distinct maternal behavior. The objectives of the study were (1) to examine the association between these three stress factors and maternal OXT within one analysis. (2) Moreover, OXT was tested as a potential mediator for the association between maternal experience of early childhood maltreatment and abuse potential against their own child. METHODS: Plasma OXT concentrations of 52 mothers during the follicular phase were collated (healthy control mothers n = 22, history of depression n = 23, borderline personality disorder n = 7). The maternal history of psychiatric disorders and experiences of early childhood maltreatment were examined via interviews. Regression and mediation analyses were applied to answer the research questions. RESULTS: Early childhood maltreatment was associated with reduced plasma OXT; however, maternal history of depression and borderline personality disorder were not related to OXT concentrations. In particular, having experienced parental antipathy in one's own childhood was associated with reduced OXT levels but OXT did not mediate the association between maternal early childhood experiences of maltreatment and abuse potential of their own child. CONCLUSION: In the present study alterations in plasma OXT concentrations were not associated with psychiatric disorders, such as a history of depression or borderline personality disorder but more with a potential etiological factor of these disorders, i.e. experience of maltreatment in their own childhood.

[Skill training and the post-treatment efficacy of dialectic behavior therapy six month after discharge of the hospital]. / Das Skilltraining und die poststationäre Effektivität der stationären Dialektisch-Behavioralen Therapie (DBT) nach sechs Monaten.

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are getting significantly better under inpatient Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Several studies have shown the efficacy of DBT inpatient treatment for patients with BPD. Signs of the efficacy of DBT are mainly reduction of self-injurious behaviour and suicidality as well as reduction of clinical parameters such as depression and general symptom stress (SCL-90-R). In this catamnestic study we evaluated 38 former DBT-inpatients for continuous treatment effects of DBT. The results showed a significant reduction in depression as well as general symptom stress up to 6 month after discharge. Furthermore, these effects were positively correlated with the continuous use of DBT-skills 1 and 6 months after discharge. These skills are central part of DBT-treatment and are especially useful for managing high-tension, suicidality and self-injurious behaviour. Therefore, the use of skills is possibly the reason for the continuous effect of DBT after the end of inpatient treatment.