Résumé
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is highly stigmatized. Stigma including clinicians’ resistance, stigmatizing attitudes and discriminatory beliefs could be mitigated by a better knowledge of the disorder. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a one-day training on stigmatization by healthcare professionals (HP). Method: our two-center study included 172 HP who completed an interactive training day embodying dialectical and destigmatizing positions. Elements of psychoeducation, emotional dysregulation model and practical tools were presented. Stigma attitudes and open-mindedness were assessed by the Opening Minds Stigma Scale for Health Care Providers self-questionnaire (OMS-HC); and beliefs (feeling of incompetence, pejorative perception of prognosis, patient blaming) by the Beliefs Questionnaire (BQ). Scores before and immediately after the training were compared using Student’s paired t-test. Results: most HPs worked in psychiatry (69%) and had no prior education on BPD (89%). Nurses were more represented (35%), ahead of nursing assistants (22%), psychologists (18%), and psychiatrists (10%). All scores decreased after training (p<0.001): total OMS-HC (MD±SD=-4±8), attitude sub score (-2±4), disclosure sub score (-1±4); total BQ (-6±9), HP feeling of incompetence sub-score (-4±4) and evolution sub score (-2±3). Conclusion: consistent with the literature, a one-day training reduces HPs’ stigmatizing attitudes and beliefs and has a positive impact on knowledge and open-mindedness about BPD patients. Training can lean on education about BPD nature, treatment and prognosis, experience-sharing with practical cases, and testimonies. It would enable compassionate and destigmatizing care. Further study is needed of the clinical impact of BPD training and its wider implementation in mental healthcare settings.