Efficacy of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

University Hospital Muenster104 enrolled

Overview

The purpose of this study is to find out whether Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is effective in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.

Borderline personality disorder represents a sever clinical condition that affects 1-2% of the community and is characterized by a pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, as well as a marked impulsivity; up to 10% of the patients commit suicide. Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is one psychotherapeutic approach among five that have been manualized and evaluated in RCTs. So far, TFP has not been compared to a control condition which is a crucial step in the evaluation of the efficacy of a psychosocial intervention. This study is an RCT that compares one year of outpatient TFP to treatment by experienced community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

104

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder

Interventions

Transference-Focused PsychotherapyBEHAVIORAL

Outpatient psychotherapy according to the treatment manual, sessions of 50 minutes twice per week

treatment by experienced community psychotherapistsBEHAVIORAL

Outpatient psychotherapy in private practices or outpatient units of psychiatric hospitals. Licensed psychotherapists with experience and special interest in the treatment of borderline patients are treating according to the method they have learned.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsMax age: 45 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Written informed consent to the participation in the study * Diagnosis of BPD according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II * Age between 18 and 45 years * Sufficient knowledge of the German language Exclusion Criteria: * Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe substance abuse, organic pathology, or mental retardation according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-I * Diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II

Locations (2)

Dept. of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna

Vienna, Vienna, Austria

Dept. of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Drop-out

Did not finish one year of treatment.

Time frame: 1 year

Suicidality (Suicide Attempts)

Time frame: 1 year

Secondary Outcomes

Psychosocial Functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning, GAF-Score)

Time frame: 1 year

Level of Personality Organization (Structured Interview for Personality Organization, STIPO)

Time frame: 1 year

Number of Self-harming Acts

Time frame: 1 year

Self-assessment of Psychopathology (BDI, STAI, BSI)

Time frame: 1 year

Attachment Style and Reflective Function (Adult Attachment Interview, AAI)

Time frame: 1 year

Borderline Symptomatology (DSM-IV Criteria)

Time frame: 1 month

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.