The shorter the better? A follow-up analysis of 10-session psychiatric treatment including the motive-oriented therapeutic relationship for borderline personality disorder

Study protocol of an observational study in acute psychiatric home treatment: How does home treatment work? Identification of common factors and predictors of treatment success

BACKGROUND

Systematic reviews indicated that home treatment is an effective and cost-saving alternative to conventional acute psychiatric treatment options. Treatment success has often been defined as a reduction of hospital admissions. In the current study, symptoms and well-being are assessed regularly during treatment as an indicator for treatment success. Patients' characteristics such as diagnosis, age, substance use, and motivation for treatment were discussed as predictors for treatment success. A second focal point of the study lies in the examination of the therapeutic relationship in terms of the outcome, which has not yet been systematically investigated in home treatment.

METHODS

This is an observational study with a prospective naturalistic design. Measurements are carried out at baseline, during and at the end of treatment as well as at the 3‑month follow-up. Patients' characteristics as potential predictors for treatment success will be assessed at baseline. In addition, the perceived relationship between the patients and the team will be measured daily and weekly throughout the treatment. Treatment success is by the changes in symptoms and general well-being assessed weekly. We aim to include 82 participants assigned to home treatment. Variance analyses with repeated measurements will be conducted to evaluate treatment success.

CONCLUSION

By examining potential patient- and relationship-related predictors of treatment success, insights into relevant determining variables of treatment success in this setting are expected. The results might help to better identify who benefits the most from home treatment.

Predictors of Effects in Brief Psychiatric Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

If evidence points to the equal efficacy of all bona fide treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in general, it may not necessarily be true for a specific individual, nor do such general conclusions help in the triage of clients in clinical services. We investigated potential therapy outcome predictors for participants with a BPD diagnosis (N = 99). They were assessed on scales including the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 (OQ-45), the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-64, and the Borderline Symptom List. Our analyses revealed that individuals with low levels of symptom distress at intake had the smallest change in total OQ-45 score over the course of brief treatment, while the individuals with high levels of symptom distress had a mean large change in total score (-23). We observed that individuals with high symptom loads AND low levels of interpersonal problems at intake seemed to have the best progress.

The first session matters: Therapist responsiveness and the therapeutic alliance in the treatment of borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVES

The focus of the present research is to investigate the impact of therapist responsiveness at the very first session of therapy on the evaluation of therapeutic alliance from the therapist's perspective and from patient's perspective in the context of guideline-based treatment for borderline personality disorder.

DESIGN

The study has a correlational and longitudinal design applied to a 10-session therapy in a naturalistic setting.

METHODS

A total of four trained raters evaluated therapist responsiveness during the first session of therapy. After each therapy session, therapists and patients filled out the short form of the Working Alliance Inventory measuring working alliance; the sample included 13 therapists and 47 patients. Correlational analysis as well as hierarchical linear modelling exploring the relationship between first session therapist responsiveness and working alliance were performed.

RESULTS

The global evaluation of responsiveness revealed a significant relationship with the temporal evolution of the alliance rated from the therapists' perspective.

DISCUSSION

There is the necessity to further explore therapist appropriate responsiveness which could potentially explain several psychotherapy research results. Moreover, it could help in finding alternatives in order to facilitate patients' early engagement in therapy as well as facilitating the building process of therapeutic alliance. Finally, an effort should be made in order to study more individualized operationalization of responsiveness.

Current state of the evidence on community treatments for people with complex emotional needs: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

Improving the quality of care in community settings for people with 'Complex Emotional Needs' (CEN-our preferred working term for services for people with a "personality disorder" diagnosis or comparable needs) is recognised internationally as a priority. Plans to improve care should be rooted as far as possible in evidence. We aimed to take stock of the current state of such evidence, and identify significant gaps through a scoping review of published investigations of outcomes of community-based psychosocial interventions designed for CEN.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review with systematic searches. We searched six bibliographic databases, including forward and backward citation searching, and reference searching of relevant systematic reviews. We included studies using quantitative methods to test for effects on any clinical, social, and functioning outcomes from community-based interventions for people with CEN. The final search was conducted in November 2020.

RESULTS

We included 226 papers in all (210 studies). Little relevant literature was published before 2000. Since then, publications per year and sample sizes have gradually increased, but most studies are relatively small, including many pilot or uncontrolled studies. Most studies focus on symptom and self-harm outcomes of various forms of specialist psychotherapy: most result in outcomes better than from inactive controls and similar to other specialist psychotherapies. We found large evidence gaps. Adaptation and testing of therapies for significant groups (e.g. people with comorbid psychosis, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, or substance misuse; older and younger groups; parents) have for the most part only reached a feasibility testing stage. We found little evidence regarding interventions to improve social aspects of people's lives, peer support, or ways of designing effective services.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with other longer term mental health problems that significantly impair functioning, the evidence base on how to provide high quality care for people with CEN is very limited. There is good evidence that people with CEN can be helped when specialist therapies are available and when they are able to engage with them. However, a much more methodologically robust and substantial literature addressing a much wider range of research questions is urgently needed to optimise treatment and support across this group.

Metacognitive improvement and symptom change in a 3-month treatment for borderline personality disorder

OBJECTIVES

Recognizing and reflecting on one's own and other people's mental states represent a major difficulty for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Only recently have studies begun exploring whether these capacities increase with successful therapies and if such an improvement is linked with outcome. The present study investigated whether metacognition would improve and if its improvement was related with symptom change in BPD patients.

DESIGN

The transcripts from the first and the penultimate session of a ten-session version of good psychiatric management were analysed with the MAS-R scale in a N = 37 BPD sample. Patients, selected from a previously published RCT (Kramer et al., 2014), were assigned either to the good psychiatric management treatment or to the same treatment with the addition of the Motive-Oriented Therapeutic Relationship (Caspar, 2007), a form of therapeutic relationship based on an individualized case formulation. Symptoms were assessed with the OQ-45.

RESULTS

Findings partially support the hypotheses. First, improvement in capacities to understand others' mind, to take a critical distance from one's own rigid and maladaptive beliefs, and to use behavioural and attentional strategies to face adversities is found in both treatment groups. Controlling for marital status, only the ability to differentiate between reality and representations remains significant. Second, no link between metacognitive change and symptom change during treatment is found. However, a link is observed between the increase in metacognition and symptom reduction at 6-month follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Results invite to further investigate the role of metacognition in therapy change through different modalities and in longer-term treatments.

PRACTITIONER POINTS

The development of metacognitive processes and their links with symptom change were examined during a short-term treatment in 37 borderline patients Improvement was found in capacities to understand others' mind, to take a critical distance from own rigid and maladaptive beliefs, and to use behavioural and attentional strategies even in a short-term treatment Controlling for marital status, only the ability to take a critical distance from representations remained significant A link was observed between increase in metacognition and symptom reduction at 6-month follow-up Understanding and tailoring interventions to specific metacognitive difficulties could be associated with symptom change during treatment for BPD patients.

Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND

Over the decades, a variety of psychological interventions for borderline personality disorder (BPD) have been developed. This review updates and replaces an earlier review (Stoffers-Winterling 2012).

OBJECTIVES

To assess the beneficial and harmful effects of psychological therapies for people with BPD.

SEARCH METHODS

In March 2019, we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, 14 other databases and four trials registers. We contacted researchers working in the field to ask for additional data from published and unpublished trials, and handsearched relevant journals. We did not restrict the search by year of publication, language or type of publication.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials comparing different psychotherapeutic interventions with treatment-as-usual (TAU; which included various kinds of psychotherapy), waiting list, no treatment or active treatments in samples of all ages, in any setting, with a formal diagnosis of BPD. The primary outcomes were BPD symptom severity, self-harm, suicide-related outcomes, and psychosocial functioning. There were 11 secondary outcomes, including individual BPD symptoms, as well as attrition and adverse effects.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

At least two review authors independently selected trials, extracted data, assessed risk of bias using Cochrane's 'Risk of bias' tool and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We performed data analysis using Review Manager 5 and quantified the statistical reliability of the data using Trial Sequential Analysis.

MAIN RESULTS

We included 75 randomised controlled trials (4507 participants), predominantly involving females with mean ages ranging from 14.8 to 45.7 years. More than 16 different kinds of psychotherapy were included, mostly dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) and mentalisation-based treatment (MBT). The comparator interventions included treatment-as-usual (TAU), waiting list, and other active treatments. Treatment duration ranged from one to 36 months. Psychotherapy versus TAU Psychotherapy reduced BPD symptom severity, compared to TAU; standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.70 to -0.33; 22 trials, 1244 participants; moderate-quality evidence. This corresponds to a mean difference (MD) of -3.6 (95% CI -4.4 to -2.08) on the Zanarini Rating Scale for BPD (range 0 to 36), a clinically relevant reduction in BPD symptom severity (minimal clinical relevant difference (MIREDIF) on this scale is -3.0 points). Psychotherapy may be more effective at reducing self-harm compared to TAU (SMD -0.32, 95% CI -0.49 to -0.14; 13 trials, 616 participants; low-quality evidence), corresponding to a MD of -0.82 (95% CI -1.25 to 0.35) on the Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory Scale (range 0 to 34). The MIREDIF of -1.25 points was not reached. Suicide-related outcomes improved compared to TAU (SMD -0.34, 95% CI -0.57 to -0.11; 13 trials, 666 participants; low-quality evidence), corresponding to a MD of -0.11 (95% CI -0.19 to -0.034) on the Suicidal Attempt Self Injury Interview. The MIREDIF of -0.17 points was not reached. Compared to TAU, psychotherapy may result in an improvement in psychosocial functioning (SMD -0.45, 95% CI -0.68 to -0.22; 22 trials, 1314 participants; low-quality evidence), corresponding to a MD of -2.8 (95% CI -4.25 to -1.38), on the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (range 0 to 100). The MIREDIF of -4.0 points was not reached. Our additional Trial Sequential Analysis on all primary outcomes reaching significance found that the required information size was reached in all cases. A subgroup analysis comparing the different types of psychotherapy compared to TAU showed no clear evidence of a difference for BPD severity and psychosocial functioning. Psychotherapy may reduce depressive symptoms compared to TAU but the evidence is very uncertain (SMD -0.39, 95% CI -0.61 to -0.17; 22 trials, 1568 participants; very low-quality evidence), corresponding to a MD of -2.45 points on the Hamilton Depression Scale (range 0 to 50). The MIREDIF of -3.0 points was not reached. BPD-specific psychotherapy did not reduce attrition compared with TAU. Adverse effects were unclear due to too few data. Psychotherapy versus waiting list or no treatment Greater improvements in BPD symptom severity (SMD -0.49, 95% CI -0.93 to -0.05; 3 trials, 161 participants), psychosocial functioning (SMD -0.56, 95% CI -1.01 to -0.11; 5 trials, 219 participants), and depression (SMD -1.28, 95% CI -2.21 to -0.34, 6 trials, 239 participants) were observed in participants receiving psychotherapy versus waiting list or no treatment (all low-quality evidence). No evidence of a difference was found for self-harm and suicide-related outcomes. Individual treatment approaches DBT and MBT have the highest numbers of primary trials, with DBT as subject of one-third of all included trials, followed by MBT with seven RCTs. Compared to TAU, DBT was more effective at reducing BPD severity (SMD -0.60, 95% CI -1.05 to -0.14; 3 trials, 149 participants), self-harm (SMD -0.28, 95% CI -0.48 to -0.07; 7 trials, 376 participants) and improving psychosocial functioning (SMD -0.36, 95% CI -0.69 to -0.03; 6 trials, 225 participants). MBT appears to be more effective than TAU at reducing self-harm (RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.49 to 0.80; 3 trials, 252 participants), suicidality (RR 0.10, 95% CI 0.04, 0.30, 3 trials, 218 participants) and depression (SMD -0.58, 95% CI -1.22 to 0.05, 4 trials, 333 participants). All findings are based on low-quality evidence. For secondary outcomes see review text.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Our assessments showed beneficial effects on all primary outcomes in favour of BPD-tailored psychotherapy compared with TAU. However, only the outcome of BPD severity reached the MIREDIF-defined cut-off for a clinically meaningful improvement. Subgroup analyses found no evidence of a difference in effect estimates between the different types of therapies (compared to TAU) . The pooled analysis of psychotherapy versus waiting list or no treatment found significant improvement on BPD severity, psychosocial functioning and depression at end of treatment, but these findings were based on low-quality evidence, and the true magnitude of these effects is uncertain. No clear evidence of difference was found for self-harm and suicide-related outcomes. However, compared to TAU, we observed effects in favour of DBT for BPD severity, self-harm and psychosocial functioning and, for MBT, on self-harm and suicidality at end of treatment, but these were all based on low-quality evidence. Therefore, we are unsure whether these effects would alter with the addition of more data.

Effects of Therapeutic Alliance and Metacognition on Outcome in a Brief Psychological Treatment for Borderline Personality Disorder

Objective: The therapeutic alliance is possibly a crucial factor in treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD). Among predictors of therapeutic alliance, aspects that have not yet been considered are metacognition or the patient's capacity to be aware of mental states. We therefore explored whether metacognition predicted alliance and if metacognition and therapeutic alliance together predicted outcome in brief treatment for BPD. Method: In a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial, we included N = 36 patients with BPD in the current study. The original trial assessed the effects of a 10 session psychiatric standard treatment with or without the added the Plan Analysis and the Motive Oriented Therapeutic Relationship. We assessed the therapeutic alliance session by session (Working Alliance Inventory), metacognition at session 1 (using the Metacognitive Assessment Scale-Revised) and outcome (using residual gains on the Outcome Questionnaire-45.2 between sessions 1 and 10). Results: A more differentiated capacity to understand the mind of the others at treatment onset predicted an increase of therapist-rated alliance over time. Therapist rated alliance was the only significant outcome predictor (B = -0.85, R Squared = .12). Conclusions: More differentiated metacognition predicted therapeutic alliance which in turn affected outcome, thus making metacognition a relevant therapy target early in therapy for BPD. Future studies should expand this investigation to patients with better functioning, treated with different modalities and with longer treatments.

Change in Emotional and Theory of Mind Processing in Borderline Personality Disorder: A Pilot Study

Changes in emotional processing (EP) and in theory of mind (TOM) are central across treatment approaches for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Although the assessment of EP relies on the observation of a patient's self-criticism in a two-chair dialogue, an individual's TOM assessments is made based on responses to humorous stimuli based on false beliefs. For this pilot study, we assessed eight patients with BPD before and after a 3-month-long psychiatric treatment, using functional magnetic resonance imaging and behavioral tasks. We observed arousal increase within the session of the two-chair dialogue (d = 0.36), paralleled by arousal decrease between sessions (d = 0.80). We found treatment-associated trends for neural activity reduction in brain areas central for EP and TOM. Our exploratory findings using an integrative assessment procedure of changes in EP and TOM point toward evidence for treatment effects at the brain systems level related to behavioral modulation.

Personality, personality disorders, and the process of change

OBJECTIVE

The present paper elaborates a process perspective of change in psychotherapy for personality disorders (PDs). Firstly, the paper reviews the literature of mechanisms of change in treatments of PD, with the main focus on emotional processing and socio-cognitive processing. Secondly, it proposes an illustrative case-series analysis of eight cases, drawn from a mediation analysis conducted within the context of a randomized controlled trial for borderline personality disorder (BPD).

METHOD

As such, cases with good and poor outcomes are compared, as are cases with poor and good intake features and cases with poor and good process markers across treatment.

RESULTS

The results illustrate possible pathways to healthy change over the course of four months of treatment, and possible pathways of the absence of change.

CONCLUSIONS

These results are discussed with regard to three main research perspectives: the combination of qualitative and quantitative methodology in psychotherapy research may be applied to case study research, a neurobehavioral perspective on change may incorporate the individualized experience in the laboratory and therapist responsiveness to patient characteristics may be a core feature of fostering change. Clinical or methodological significance of this article: The present paper illustrates individual pathways to change in personality disorders. It illustrates how coping capacities influence the process of psychotherapy and outcome in personality disorders. It demonstrates the relevance of individualizing treatments for personality disorders. It demonstrates several integrative features of psychotherapy research, in particular the use of neurobehavioral paradigms and the integration of single-case research within randomized controlled trials.

Leaving Distress Behind: A Randomized Controlled Study on Change in Emotional Processing in Borderline Personality Disorder

OBJECTIVE

The marked impulsivity and instability of clients suffering from borderline personality disorder (BPD) greatly challenge therapists' understanding and responsiveness. This may hinder the development of a constructive therapeutic relationship despite it being of particular importance in their treatment. Recent studies have shown that using motive-oriented therapeutic relationship (MOTR), a possible operationalization of appropriate therapist responsiveness, can enhance treatment outcome for BPD. The overall objective of this study is to examine change in emotional processing in BPD clients following the therapist's use of MOTR.

METHOD

The present paper focuses on N = 50 cases, n = 25 taken from each of two conditions of a randomized controlled add-on effectiveness design. Clients were either allocated to a manual-based psychiatric-psychodynamic 10-session version of general psychiatric management (GPM), a borderline-specific treatment, or to a 10-session version of GPM augmented with MOTR. Emotional states were assessed using the Classification of Affective-Meaning States (Pascual-Leone & Greenberg, 2005) at intake, midtreatment, and in the penultimate session.

RESULTS

Across treatment, early expressions of distress, especially the emotion state of global distress, were shown to significantly decrease (p = .00), and adaptive emotions were found to emerge (p < .05). Between-condition differences of change were found, including a significant increase in emotional variability and stronger outcome predictors in the MOTR condition.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate initial emotional change in BPD clients in a relatively short time frame and suggest the addition of MOTR to psychotherapeutic treatments as promising. Clinical implications are discussed.