Dianna Bartsch

Dianna Bartsch

School of Psychology

Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

I am an adjunct Clinical Senior Lecturer for the School of Psychology and Research Coordinator at the Borderline Personality Disorder Collaborative (BPD Co), SA Health. I am passionate about integrating science and practice in the field of psychology and within tertiary mental health settings. I strongly advocate for consumer-focused service-provision and access to high quality evidence-based psychological therapies.

My current research aims to evaluate stepped care for the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. I have particular interest in early intervention strategies targeting suicide/self-harm, group therapy, psychometric assessments for personality disorders, stigma and staff attitudes, personality disorder and parenting, carer and family interventions, youth mental health, and prevalence of BPD in the criminal justice system. I am interested in a broad range of psychotherapy approaches including Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mentalization based therapy (MBT), General Psychiatric Management (GPM) and Schema Therapy, administered in different modalities (e.g. face-to-face vs. video-conferencing).

Finally, I also have additional research interests relating to other chronic and complex mental health conditions (e.g. psychosis, trauma), children of parents with a mental illness (COPMI), leadership in clinical psychology.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2019 - ongoing Research Coordinator Barossa, Hills, Fleurieu Local Health Network (BHF LHN)
    2013 - 2019 Principal Clinical Psychologist Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
    2012 - 2013 Acting Principal Clinical Psychologist Southern Adelaide Local Health Network
    2008 - 2013 Clinical Psychologist North East Psychology
    2007 - 2012 Clinical Psychologist Central Northern Adelaide Health Service
    2007 - 2010 Clinical Psychologist Central Northern Adelaide Health Service
    2006 - 2006 Psychologist SA Health
    2006 - 2006 Psychologist Central Northern Adelaide Health Service

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2020 Achievement Dean’s Commendation for Doctoral Thesis Excellence The University of Adelaide Australia -
    2004 Award Alumni Certificate of Achievement for Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) University of South Australia Australia -
    2003 Achievement First Class Honours in Psychology (Honours) University of South Australia Australia -
    2002 Achievement Chancellor's Merit List University of South Australia Australia -
    2000 Achievement Dean's Merit List University of South Australia Australia -

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2020 The University of Adelaide Australia Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
    2004 - 2006 University of South Australia Australia Master of Psychology (Clinical)
    2003 - 2003 University of South Australia Australia Bachelor of Psychology (Honours)
    2000 - 2002 University of South Australia Australia Bachelor of Psychology

  • Research Interests
    Clinical Psychology Personality, Abilities and Assessment Social and personality psychology Personality and individual differences Mental health services

  • Journals
    Year Citation
    2024 Smith, D., Cammell, P., Battersby, M., Bartsch, D., Stevenson, J., & Bastiampillai, T. (2024). Recurrent Mental Health Presentations to Public Hospital Services: A Focus on Borderline Personality Disorder. Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders, 26(1), 23m03559.
    DOI
    2024 Dahlenburg, S. C., Bartsch, D. R., Giles, J. A., Koehne, K. A., & O'Sullivan, J. (2024). Experiences of a peer group for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder: A qualitative interview study. Personality and Mental Health, 11 pages.
    DOI
    2024 Bartsch, D. R., McLeod Everitt, C., Bednarz, J., Ludbrook, C., & Cammell, P. (2024). A State-Wide Initiative to Improve Health System Responses to People With Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms in Crisis: A Retrospective Audit. Journal of personality disorders, 38(1), 87-108.
    DOI
    2024 Bartsch, D. R., Cooke-O'Connor, L., Connerty, T. J., van Roekel, H., & Cammell, P. (2024). Acceptability and feasibility of a short-term group therapy for people with borderline personality disorder symptoms.. Australasian psychiatry : bulletin of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, 10398562241246485.
    DOI
    2023 Lindell‐Innes, R., Phillips‐Hughes, A. L., Bartsch, D., Galletly, C., & Ludbrook, C. (2023). Attitudes of psychiatry trainees towards patients with borderline personality disorder: Does the stigma begin during training?. Personality and Mental Health, 17(4), 387-395.
    DOI Scopus1
    2022 Bartsch, D. R., Roberts, R., & Proeve, M. (2022). Relationships between parental borderline symptom severity, empathy, parenting styles and child psychopathology. Clinical Psychologist, 26(2), 211-221.
    DOI Scopus4 WoS1
    2019 Mitchell, R., Roberts, R., Bartsch, D., & Sullivan, T. (2019). Changes in mindfulness facets in a dialectical behaviour therapy skills training group program for borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 75(6), 958-969.
    DOI Scopus17 WoS16 Europe PMC3
    2016 Bartsch, D., Roberts, R., Davies, M., & Proeve, M. (2016). Understanding the Experience of Parents with a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder. Australian Psychologist, 51(6), 472-480.
    DOI Scopus16 WoS15
    2015 Bartsch, D., Roberts, R., Davies, M., & Proeve, M. (2015). The impact of parental diagnosis of borderline personality disorder on offspring: Learning from clinical practice. Personality and Mental Health, 9(1), 33-43.
    DOI Scopus10 WoS10 Europe PMC6
    2015 Bartsch, D., Roberts, R., Davies, M., & Proeve, M. (2015). Borderline personality disorder and parenting: Clinician perspectives. Advances in Mental Health, 13(2), 113-126.
    DOI Scopus12 WoS10
    2007 Bartsch, D. (2007). Prevalence of body dysmorphic disorder symptoms and associated clinical features among Australian university students. Clinical Psychologist, 11(1), 16-23.
    DOI

  • Conference Papers
    Year Citation
    2023 McLeod-Everitt, C., Giles, J., Bailey, K., Bartsch, D., & van Roekel, H. (2023). Integrating lived experience within a state-wide service for people living with BPD (Symposium). In International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) Congress 2023. Sydney, Australia.
    2023 McLeod-Everitt, C., Giles, J., Bailey, K., Bartsch, D., & van Roekel, H. (2023). Integrating lived experience within a state-wide service for people living with BPD (Symposium). In International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) Congress 2023. Sydney, Australia.
    2023 Ludbrook, C., Bartsch, D., Cooke-O'Connor, L., McLeod-Everitt, C., & Fyfe, M. (2023). Stepped care for borderline personality disorder: A real-world example (Symposium). In International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders (ISSPD) Congress 2023. Sydney, Australia.
    2023 Dahlenburg, S., Bartsch, D., & Gilson, K. (2023). Prevalence of Borderline Personality Disorder and Self-Reported Symptoms in an Adult Offender Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. In ISSPD Congress 2023 Presentations. Sydney, Australia.
    2022 Giles, J., & Bartsch, D. (2022). Evaluation of a peer group program promoting recovery among people with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. In https://www.esspd.eu/congress-2022/. Virtual.
    2022 Bartsch, D., & Cooke-O'Connor, L. (2022). Short-term group therapy for adults with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder: Road Maps. In https://www.uow.edu.au/project-air/resources/our-library/#d.en.172653. Wollongong, Australia.
    2022 Bartsch, D., & Cooke-O'Connor, L. (2022). Short-term group therapy for adults with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder: Road Maps. In https://www.uow.edu.au/project-air/resources/our-library/#d.en.172653. Wollongong, Australia.
    2022 Cooke-O'Connor, L., Bartsch, D., & Ludbrook, C. (2022). ROAD MAPS GROUPS: AN INTERMEDIATE INTERVENTION IN THE BPD STEPPED MODEL OF CARE. In AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY Vol. 56 (pp. 211). SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
    2022 Ludbrook, C., & Bartsch, D. (2022). BUILDING STRONGER BRIDGES: A BRIEF INTERVENTION IN THE BPD STEPPED MODEL OF CARE. In AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY Vol. 56 (pp. 210-211). SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
    2020 Cammell, P., O'Sullivan, J., Ludbrook, C., McLeod-Everitt, C., Cooke-O'Connor, L., & Bartsch, D. (2020). So Far, So Good? Learnings from implementing a statewide, integrated, stepped-care personality disorder service, one year in". In 14th International Conference on the Treatment of Personality Disorders: Early Intervention. (Virtual).

  • Conference Items
    Year Citation
    2023 Ludbrook, C., Bartsch, D., Gilson, K., Dahlenburg, S., & McLeod-Everitt, C. (2023). RANZCP Abstracts: Borderline personality disorder in the criminal justice system (Symposium). Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Perth, Western Australia: SAGE Publications.
    DOI
    2023 Ludbrook, C., Bartsch, D., Gilson, K., Dahlenburg, S., & McLeod-Everitt, C. (2023). RANZCP Abstracts: Borderline personality disorder in the criminal justice system (Symposium). Poster session presented at the meeting of Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry. Perth, Western Australia: SAGE Publications.
    DOI

  • Other Supervision Activities
    Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name
    2023 - 2023 External Supervisor "Right now I feel ok but more so that I am surviving not thriving”: Experiences of Sharing the Parenting with a Person Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder The University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Clinical) Master Full Time Claire Pascoe
    2022 - 2022 External Supervisor Exploring Personality Pathology and Minority Stress Among Australian Sexual and Gender Minorities The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Honours Full Time Sierra Magann
    2022 - 2022 External Supervisor Attitudes Towards Parents with A Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder The University of Adelaide Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) Honours Full Time Dana Laird
    2022 - 2022 External Supervisor An Evaluation of a BPD-Specific Training That Was Developed and Delivered in Collaboration with Experts by Lived Experience on the Attitudes, Empathy and Optimism of Mental Health Professionals The University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Clinical) Master Full Time Molly Wright
    2013 - 2013 External Supervisor Mindfulness skills in a DBT skills training group program for BPD The University of Adelaide Master of Psychology (Clinical) Master Part Time Roberta Mitchell

  • Memberships
    Date Role Membership Country
    2009 - ongoing Member Australian Psychological Society Clinical College Australia
    2008 - ongoing Member Australian Psychological Society Australia
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