When in crisis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently seek care in emergency departments (EDs) often presenting with suicide and self-harm behaviour. There is no established evidence-based brief intervention for patients with BPD in ED settings, however a 4-session psychotherapeutic intervention for people with personality disorders in ED settings was tested in Australia and showed promising results in reduced health care utilization. The proposed pilot randomized controlled trial will assess the feasibility of delivering this 4-session intervention in the ED for people with BPD who present with suicidal ideation or self-harm with the aim of reducing health care utilization.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
60
Intervention consists of weekly 50-minute 1:1 sessions focused on psycho-education, here-and-now problem solving and safety planning. One of the sessions can involve a significant other to provide psychoeducation about the disorder and to facilitate support. This intervention is detailed in a published manual.
TAU comprises access to psychiatric assessment, medication review, and unscheduled sessions with allied health professionals using a drop-in model of care.
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Primary clinical outcome measure - Emergency Department Visits
The primary clinical outcome will be the mean group difference in frequency of ER visits on the Client Service Receipt Inventory (CSRI)
Time frame: 1, 3 and 6 month follow up
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