Negative attitudes towards borderline personality disorder patients in Spanish mental health and primary care services: mHealth, a possible solution?

EnglishThe purpose of this project was to study negative attitudes exhibited by mental health professionals toward patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as a function of their work area (general health vs. mental health), profession, the quantity of patients with BPD they have treated over the past year, their number of years of experience in mental health, and their gender. The study used a sample of 310 professionals. We also explored how the professionals’ interest in using an innovative technological application (Medtep DBT) interacted with some of these variables, as well as the potential of the application to help change negative attitudes. Significant differences in attitude were found based on work area, profession, quantity of patients with BPD treated over the past and gender. Furthermore, profession, number of patients and years of experience in mental health determined significant differences in the professionals’ degree of interest in using Medtep DBT. Moreover, those with higher negative attitudes showed less interest in the application and a lesser willingness to try it. These results highlight the need to keep investigating how to improve the attitudes of healthcare professionals, especially nursing staff and general practitioner, since they appear to be more susceptible to the development of negative attitudes. As a conclusion, we infer that the lack of empathy towards patients with BPD, the difficulties in their treatment and the years of experience in mental health all act as barriers to the implementation of the application. catalaL’objectiu d’aquest estudi ha estat investigar les actituds negatives de professionals de la salut mental envers pacients amb Trastorn Limit de la Personalitat (TLP) en funcio de la seva area de treball, la seva professio, pacients amb TLP tractats al darrer any, anys d’experiencia en salut mental i sexe en una mostra de 310 professionals. A mes a mes s’han explorat, en base a part d’aquestes mateixes variables, el seu interes a usar una aplicacio tecnologica innovadora (Medtep DBT) per al tractament d’aquests pacients aixi com la possibilitat que aquesta servis per a reduir les possibles actituds negatives. S’han trobat diferencies significatives en les actituds en funcio de l’area de treball, la professio, el nombre de pacients amb TLP tractats el darrer any i el sexe. La professio, el nombre de pacients i els anys d’experiencia en salut mental tambe han determinat diferencies significatives quant a l’interes a usar Medtep DBT. Aquells professionals amb majors actituds negatives han mostrat un menor interes i una menor disposicio a utilitzar l’aplicacio. Aquests resultats demostren la necessitat de seguir investigant com millorar les actituds d’aquests professionals, especialment dels d’infermeria i dels metges de capcalera, en ser els mes vulnerables a desenvolupar-les. Com a conclusio es poden assenyalar la falta d’empatia envers pacients amb TLP, les dificultats en el seu tractament i els anys d’experiencia en salut mental com a barreres en la implementacio de l’aplicacio.