ABSTRACT
Though personality disorder has often been a controversial label (Blackburn 2006), in recent years there has been some consensus as to ways forward in treatment (NIMHE 2003a). Despite increased provision of such national guidance, the role of acute psychiatric wards remains somewhat unclear. The following discussion considers how appropriate acute psychiatric wards might be in treating individuals who have been given this label and how ward stays may be improved. In particular I wish to focus on how the provision of particular psychological therapies may affect the care provided by acute psychiatric wards. As I have worked on acute psychiatric wards for six years and seen many people who have become associated with this label, what follows is necessarily informed by my own experience. However, I will also consider the ®ndings of the research literature on psychological approaches to personality disorder in this environment which, though extremely limited, offer clear pointers as to the way forward.
