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Mentalization-based Treatment Versus Bona-fide Treatment for Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder in Germany

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Borderline Personality Disorder
Interventions
Behavioral: Bona-Fide Treatment in Germany (BFT)
Behavioral: Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT)
Registration Number
NCT06018272
Lead Sponsor
Heidelberg University
Brief Summary

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a serious mental disorder. Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is one evidence-based treatment for individuals with BPD. Specifically, MBT has been highlighted for its effectiveness in reduction of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). Yet, randomized-controlled trials (RCT) on MBT in outpatient settings compared with bona fide treatment (BFT) are still scarce and none has been conducted in Germany. The primary objective of this RCT is to investigate whether outpatient MBT is more effective in the reduction of crisis events (incidences of NSSI and suicide attempts) compared with BFT (namely psychodynamic or cognitive-behavioural psychotherapy) in Germany. Secondary, MBT's efficacy will be investigated with regard to cost-effectiveness, general and interpersonal functioning, BPD and general symptom severity, social adjustment, quality of life, reduction in psychotropic medication and therapy retention. Additionally, moderator as well as common and treatment specific mediator variables will be investigated.

Study Design/ Study Population/ Methods: Across 5 study sites in Germany, 304 individuals of all genders from age 18 to 65 with a BPD diagnosis and NSSI or suicide attempts in the past will be asked to participate in the study for two years. In the first year, patients will receive either MBT or BFT (psychodynamic or cognitive behavioural psychotherapy) and will take part in continuous scientific assessments. Scientific assessments will continue after therapy completion up to a 12-moth follow up. As primary outcome, crisis events will be assessed via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) four times a week once per month during the first year and once every three months in the second year. Number of crisis events up to 2 years post randomization will be compared between treatment arms using a log-linear regression model following an intention-to-treat approach. Secondary outcomes, such as borderline and general symptom severity, will be assessed at several timepoints. A within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) will be conducted with a societal perspective.

Clinical Trial Rationale: This study investigates efficacy of MBT as BPD specific treatment in an outpatient setting compared with BFT in Germany. Results of this study can address a treatment gap in the German healthcare system, and inform about health economic aspects of BPD treatment as well as mechanisms of psychotherapeutic change.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
304
Inclusion Criteria
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • non-suicidal self injury or suicide attempts in the past two years as indicated by the IPDE item "repeated suicidal behaviours, gestures, threats or self-harm", one of which has occurred in the past six months
Exclusion Criteria
  • acute substance use disorder (exception: cannabis dependency)
  • diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizotypal personality disorder
  • bipolar I disorder (DSM-5)
  • cognitive impairment (IQ<80) or evidence of organic brain disorder
  • BMI<16.5
  • serious medical condition that will require hospitalization within the next year (e.g. cancer)
  • no sufficient German language abilities

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Bona-Fide Treatment in Germany (BFT)Bona-Fide Treatment in Germany (BFT)-
Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT)Mentalization-Based Treatment (MBT)-
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
change in crisis events assessed with Ecological Momentary Assessment with items based on the SHBQ (Gutierrez et al., 2001)every second day during one week per month in the first year, and during one week every three months in the second year

composite score (non)suicidal self injury

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in quality of life assessed with EQ-5D-5L (Herdman et al., 2011; EuroQol Research Foundation, 2019)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in Interoceptive Body Awareness with MAIA-2 (Mehling et al., 2018)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Changes in medication with self-report of medication prescription via adapted version of AD-SUS (Kuyken et al., 2015)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in health and disability assessed with WHODAS 2.0 Short Form (Üstün et al., 2010)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in personality funcitioning assessed with LPFS-BF (Hutsebaut et al., 2016)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in emotional reactions to social exclusion, rejection and relational devaluation with SPQ (Stangier et al., 2021)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in threat hypersensitivity assessed with emotion classification task (Honecker et al., 2021)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24

Participants are presented with 160 faces, each unambiguously showing one of four emotional expressions (angry, fearful, happy, neutral). The goal of the task is to correctly classify these facial expressions. The task's collected behavioral data encompasses two key measurements: the ratio of accurate responses (specifically, correct emotion classification) and the time it takes to respond in trials where the emotion classification is correct.

Change in social adjustment assessed with WSAS (Marks, 1986)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder assessed with the IPDE (Loranger et al., 1997) and BSL-23 (Wolf et al., 2009)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24; IPDE only at Month 24
Change in personality traits assessed with PID5BF+M (Bach et al., 2020)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Heath Care utilization with an adapted version of the AD-SUS (Kuyken et al., 2015)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in acute dissociative symptoms with Dissociation-Tension Scale-4 (DSS-4; Stiglmayr et al., 2003)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in psychiatric symptom severity assessed with the DASS- 21 (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24
Change in trait anger assessed with STAXI-2 (Spielberger, 1999)Day 0, Month 6, Month 12, Month 24

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

Psychologische Hochschule Berlin

🇩🇪

Berlin, Germany

Heidelberg University

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Heidelberg, Germany

Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Düsseldorf

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Düsseldorf, Germany

Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology

🇩🇪

Jena, Germany

Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Ulm

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Ulm, Germany

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