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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00714311

Efficacy of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder

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

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Key information

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder Mental Disorders Personality Disorders

Age range

18 year–45 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Dept. of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna, Vienna, State of Vienna, Austria

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About this study

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.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

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

Treatment and study plan

Transference-Focused Psychotherapy

Behavioral

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

treatment by experienced community psychotherapists

Behavioral

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.

Primary outcomes

  1. Drop-out

    Time frame: 1 year

    Did not finish one year of treatment.

  2. Suicidality (Suicide Attempts)

    Time frame: 1 year

Secondary outcomes

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

    Time frame: 1 year

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

    Time frame: 1 year

  3. Number of Self-harming Acts

    Time frame: 1 year

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

    Time frame: 1 year

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

    Time frame: 1 year

  6. Borderline Symptomatology (DSM-IV Criteria)

    Time frame: 1 month

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University Hospital Muenster

Other

Registry information

Official study title

A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy vs. Treatment by Experienced Community Psychotherapists for Borderline Personality Disorder

Important dates

Study start
2004
Primary completion
2009
Study completion
2015
First posted
Jul 14, 2008
Registry last updated
Feb 16, 2015

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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