Objective: The increasing focus on adolescent personality disorder has tended to ignore evidence of the developmental continuity of the period from puberty to young adulthood. This study aims to: (1) describe the characteristics of a sample of young people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) who had no previous history of evidence-based treatment for the disorder and (2) compare their characteristics by participant age group. Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine young people (15 to 25 years) with BPD, newly enrolled in the Monitoring Outcomes of BPD in Youth randomized controlled trial, completed semi-structured interview and self-report measures assessing demographic, clinical, and functional characteristics. Younger (aged 15 to 17 years; n = 64) and older (aged 18 to 25 years; n = 75) participants were compared on these same variables using t-tests, chi-square tests, and logistic regression. Results: Young outpatients with BPD had extensive and severe psychopathology and were functioning poorly. Adolescents and young adults with BPD showed substantial similarities on 20 key aspects of their presentation. Significant between-groups differences were observed in household makeup, treatment history, antisocial personality disorder, emotion dysregulation, substance use, age of commencement and extent of self-harm, and achievement of age-appropriate educational milestones. Adolescent BPD group membership was predicted by family composition and self-harm, whereas young adult BPD group membership was predicted by not achieving age-appropriate milestones, vocational disengagement, and emotion dysregulation. The final model explained 54% of the variance and correctly classified 80.2% of the sample by age. Conclusions: Both adolescents and young adults with early stage BPD present with severe and often similar problems to one another, supporting developmental continuity across this age range. However, there are also meaningful differences in presentation, suggesting that pathways to care might differ by age and/or developmental stage. Detection and intervention for personality disorder should not be delayed until individuals reach 18 years of age.

A high prevalence of psychological symptoms was identified upon admission, with a significant decrease by the time of discharge. These factors did not significantly predict the selected measures of rehabilitation outcome. Opportunities for future longitudinal research on the prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidities on patient outcomes are considered.

316appeared to have an overall benefi cial effect on alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Further research is needed to evaluate the specifi c impacts on regular amphetamine use and to develop more effi cacious interventions among regular cannabis users. A stepped-care approach to interventions for excessive alcohol consumption among people with a psychotic disorder is recommended. 01-07Cannabis use as a complication in psychological treatments for people at ultrahigh risk of psychosis: early fi ndings from the DEPTh trial The DEPTh project is a randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) and person-centered therapy for the prevention of psychosis among young people who are at ultrahigh risk. It is being conducted on two sites in New South Wales: the Hunter Valley and the Greater Western Area. The CBT is modeled on the manual developed by Paul French and Tony Morrison in the UK. This form of CBT has been shown in one trial to be effective in preventing transition to psychosis. However, it does not include any techniques that specifi cally focus on the reduction of substance abuse even though such abuse, especially of cannabis, is known to be very high among people who are at ultrahigh risk, and cannabis use has been found in prospective studies to be associated with the later onset of psychosis. Therefore, we have adapted French and Morrison's CBT by integrating it with a manual for motivational interviewing (MI) with young cannabis users. MI is directed toward the resolution of ambivalence and movement toward change, with the resources and motivation to change considered to reside within the client. The therapist's task is to create a set of conditions that will enhance the client's own motivation and commitment for change by drawing on their personal perceptions, goals and values. The ways in which CBT and MI are integrated in the DEPTh project will be illustrated with case material. Personality Disorders (International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders Symposium) AM ChanenORYGEN Research Centre, Parkville, Victoria, Australia OverviewThis symposium brings together researchers from Australia and New Zealand affi liated with the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders. It canvasses current personality disorder research from neurobiology through to interpersonal processes and intervention across the life span from youth to old age. 02-01Emotion processing and regulation in fi rst-presentation borderline personality disorder NB Allen, S Chong, AM Chanen Emotion dysregulation is widely believed to be one of the core features of borderline personality disorder (BPD). To date, there has been no study examining psychophysiological and self-report measures of deliberate regulation of emotions in BPD in those in the early phases of the disorder. The aims of the study were to measure the 1) psychophysiological and subjective emotional response and 2) psychophysiological and subjective ability to regulate one's emotional response to emotional...