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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00183651

Treatment of Suicidal Women With Borderline Personality Disorder

This study is a component analysis of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to determine the importance of DBT skills training and DBT individual therapy in treating suicidal women with borderline personality disorder.

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Key information

Conditions

Borderline Personality Disorder Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Mental Disorders Personality Disorders Self-Injurious Behavior Suicide

Age range

18 year–60 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 2

Primary location

University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Behavior Research and Therapy Clinics

Seattle, Washington, 98195-1525, United States

About this study

People with borderline personality disorder have limited behavioral skills and react abnormally to emotional stimulation. Standard dialectical behavior therapy (SDBT) has been shown to be an effective treatment for borderline personality disorder. This treatment combines weekly group sessions, at which patients learn new ways of dealing with their emotions, with weekly individual sessions with a therapist to discuss their emotions. The study compares SDBT to both individual DBT with no skills training and DBT skills training with no individual therapy. The study will determine whether efficacy of standard DBT is reduced when either DBT skills training or individual DBT therapy is removed.

Participants are randomly assigned to receive 1 year of SDBT, DBT with group sessions but no individual sessions, and DBT with individual sessions with no group sessions. Participants are monitored for 1 year after completing their assigned therapy. Throughout the 1-year study and during the 1-year follow-up period, self-report scales and questionnaires are used to assess participants every 4 months. These scales and questionnaires measure participants' suicidal thoughts and attempts, treatment compliance, emotional coping skills, social functioning, and overall well-being.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Diagnosis of BPD
  • At least one suicide attempt in the year prior to study entry AND at least one intentional self-injury within the 8 weeks prior to study entry
  • Willing and able to comply with all study requirements

Exclusion criteria

  • IQ less than 70
  • Life-threatening anorexia
  • Street homelessness with no contact information
  • Admittance to a hospital with no expectation of discharge within 3 weeks prior to study entry OR sentenced to a jail or prison term that will last for more than 3 weeks
  • Ordered by the court to receive psychological treatment
  • Meet DSM-IV criteria for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or seizure disorder
  • Medical conditions other than BPD that may interfere with the study

Treatment and study plan

Standard dialectical behavior therapy (SDBT)

Behavioral

Standard DBT includes: 1) individual DBT therapy (1 hour per week), 2) DBT group skills training (2.5 hours per week), 3) telephone consultation (as needed), and 4) therapist consultation team (1 hour per week).

Other names: DBT, SDBT

Individual DBT with no DBT group sessions (DBT-I)

Behavioral

Individual DBT (DBT-I) is 1 hour per week of individual therapy and 2.5 hours per week with the psychosocial activities group.

Other names: DBT, DBT-I

Group Skills DBT with no DBT individual sessions (DBT-S)

Behavioral

DBT group skills training is 2.5 hours per week and includes individual case management.

Other names: DBT, DBT-S

Primary outcomes

  1. Suicidal thoughts or attempts

    Time frame: Measured at Year 2

Secondary outcomes

  1. Coping skills

    Time frame: Measured at Year 2

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Washington

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

Registry information

Official study title

Assessment and Treatment of Parasuicidal Patients

Important dates

Study start
2004
Primary completion
2008
Study completion
2010
First posted
Sep 16, 2005
Registry last updated
Feb 2, 2012

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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