For the first time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, an educational program on the treatment of identity disorders in adolescents will be held from September 26 to 28, 2024. This event is organized by the Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry of Bosnia and Herzegovina in collaboration with the Clinic for Psychiatry at the University Clinical Center Tuzla.
The program is designed for psychiatrists, psychiatry specialists, psychologists, and psychotherapists. Leading the course will be esteemed professors of child and adolescent psychiatry from Germany and Switzerland—Dr. Susanne Schlütter Müller and Prof. Klaus Schmeck—renowned for their extensive clinical and scientific expertise in treating personality disorders in young people.
The experts mentioned played a key role in developing guidelines and classification systems for these disorders, and were part of the team that created an effective psychotherapy treatment program in this field.
According to Prim. Dr.Nerminka Aljukić, head of the Psychiatry Clinic at the University Clinical Center Tuzla, personality disorders occupy a spectrum between psychologically normal and pathological states. They are characterized by rigid, maladaptive behavior patterns and intense emotional outbursts that negatively impact social, occupational, and interpersonal relationships.“The World Health Organization estimates the prevalence of personality disorders to be around 6.1%. Individuals with these disorders struggle to manage negative emotions, often exhibiting violent reactions, outbursts of anger, and episodes of rage, which can result in self-harm or harm to others. The lifetime risk of suicide attempts for certain personality disorders is approximately 9%,” said Prim. Aljukić.
In his address, Prof. Schmeck said that the treatment of personality disorders is one of the most challenging interventions in psychiatry. Considering that there is a noticeable increase in the mentioned disorder, especially in the population of young people, it is necessary that psychiatrists, psychologists and psychotherapists who work in practice are well educated for the successful treatment of these people.
“The treatment of personality disorders in adolescents is a well-structured approach, with controlled studies demonstrating its effectiveness”, noted Prof. Schmeck. “The treatment has shown significant improvements in social functioning, a reduction in psychopathology, and a decrease in non-suicidal self-injury among young people with borderline personality disorder.”
The education on the treatment of personality disorders in adolescents will be conducted in three cycles. The first cycle, focused on the theoretical aspect, will take place in Tuzla from September 26 to 28, 2024. The second and third cycles will involve case supervision, delivered via the Zoom platform over the following six months. Participants who successfully complete all three cycles will receive a certificate, accredited by the Medical Chamber of Tuzla Canton.
