Active clinical trials for "Personality Disorders"

Personality disorders are life-long maladaptive behavioral patterns. Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the leading personality disorder encountered in clinical settings, often associated with tremendous distress. It is characterized by impulsivity, emotional lability, unstable interpersonal relationships, with particular sensitivity to abandonment. BPD patients are prone to self destructive behaviors and all too frequently attempt suicide. When in emotional turmoil, persons with BPD may also develop brief, transient psychotic states. Psychotherapy for BPD is a common treatment option, but it requires considerable time and specific personnel training, and is therefore not always feasible. Medical treatment is an efficacious alternative, however there is no concensus on drug selection. Some experts have suggested that medical treatment should be selected individually according to the subject's dominant clinical symptom. Several psychopharmacological groups have been proposed: Antidepressants, mood stabilizers, and several novel antipsychotic drugs. The latter are particularly promising since they may produce symptomaic improvement with fewer adverse effects. Risperidone has been shown in a few preliminary studies to be promising in the treatment of various BPD symptoms, but no controlled study has tested it yet. We propose to test the efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of BPD in a double-blind crossover design using both clinical and phsysiological measure.The main hypothesis is that risperidone will be efficient in alleviating BPD core and secondary symptoms.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BDP) is a serious mental disorder that affects about 1-2% of the general population, and it is characterized by severe psychosocial impairment and a high mortality rate due to suicide. Currently, the most effective treatments for BPD are psychotherapy (cognitive behavior therapy - CBT -) and pharmacotherapy (often as an important adjunctive role, especially for diminution of symptoms such as affective instability, impulsivity, psychotic-like symptoms and self-destructive behavior). Nevertheless, although several drugs are used in these patients, these drugs induce an improvement of some symptoms but do not cause the remission of BPD. Thus, identification of novel treatments is needed. The objective of this study is to examine the efficacy of Omacor® ( a mixture of omega-3-acid ethyl esters: eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) ) for BDP patients receiving CBT. Patients with BDP will be randomly allocated to the three arms of the study: 1- CBT+placebo, 2- CBT+Omacor 1680 mg/d, 3- CBT+Omacor 3360 mg/d. Follow up will last for 12 weeks. Assessment of affective symptoms, impulsivity and aggressivity will be carried out at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks.

The goal of PROSPER-B is to study effectiveness of EMDR compared to integrated DBT-EMDR in treatment-seeking, adult patients with comorbid PTSD and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).

Patients with a main diagnosis of borderline personality disorder will be recruited and will be randomized for the application of low frequency repeated transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protol or sham rTMS protocol. A pre-treatment and post-treatment measurement of the severity of BPD symptoms, impulsivity, and aggressive behavior will be carried out in all participants using self-administered questionnaires. All participants will be asked to participate in a passing ball game (Cyberball) with the intention of investigating aspects related to social inclusion / exclusion and measurements will be made regarding planning using the maze test. Participation in the Cyberball and the assessment of the planning will be carried out before and after the application of the treatment protocol.

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that often first emerges in adolescence. Effective treatments are typically expensive, lengthy, and intense (e.g., Dialectical Behavior Therapy). Thus, setting individuals up for treatment success is extremely important. Disrupted sleep is closely linked to many BPD symptoms (e.g., moodiness, impulsivity, interpersonal problems), and people with BPD have a range of sleep-related problems. Importantly, sleep problems may make BPD symptoms worse, longer lasting, and also interfere with learning new skills in treatment. Understanding sleep problems in BPD may help create better interventions, as most therapies for BPD do not currently address sleep difficulties. Although approaches like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and the Youth version of the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention (TranS-C-Youth) work well with many populations, scientists don't yet know if youth with BPD features can tolerate a sleep-focused intervention. The investigators will recruit youth between ages 13 and 18 who have 3 or more clinically impairing BPD symptoms from the London community and via clinician referrals. They will also recruit a parent to report on their child's sleep patterns, mental health symptoms, and accompany youth to an intervention session. Participants will complete diagnostic interviews and a range of surveys to assess their current functioning (e.g., sleep, mental health, BPD symptoms). Investigators will also ask youth to report on their BPD symptoms multiple times per day in real time and track their sleep at night for a 10-day period. Participants will also wear a headband to track their brain waves while they sleep. After an initial 10-day monitoring period, youth participants will receive a brief, single-session sleep intervention with their parent using materials from the TranS-C-Youth protocol. Adolescents will be asked to follow a sleep plan created during their visit for three weeks before completing another 10 days of assessment. Participants will complete a follow-up survey battery upon completion of the second real-time survey protocol, and also be invited to complete surveys one-month post intervention. The investigators hypothesize that day-to-day variability in sleep will influence BPD symptom presentation, and vice versa. They also hypothesize that our intervention will improve sleep quantity/quality among an at-risk sample, and may be associated with decreased BPD symptoms relative to baseline.

The present study aims to examine the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation on the severity of auditory hallucinations.

Scientific Background: Inherent gaps exist between the worlds of research and clinical therapy, especially in mental-health systems. Developed as an important strategy aimed to bridge them, widening efforts worldwide have implemented Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM), a method devised for systematic ongoing quantitative measurements used in diverse clinical practices, from psychotherapies to psychiatric management. The efficacy of this approach has been repeatedly demonstrated in various measures, such as satisfaction with treatment by patients and therapists, lower drop-out rates, symptomatic benefits, and more. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to test the feasibility and the clinical benefits of implementation of a Routine Outcome Monitoring System in a public clinical center, as a pioneering project in Israel, at the "Shalvata" Mental Health Center. Working Hypotheses: Incorporation of a ROM system in routine clinical practice is hypothesized to improve patients' and therapists' overall satisfaction, allow for early detection and intervention in therapeutic raptures, decrease drop-out rates, and improve various clinical outcome measures. Methods: The suggested study is a two-stage (implementation and intervention) open trial. 900 new outpatients in 'Shalvata' clinics will be recruited and randomized to intervention (ROM) and control groups. Assessment questionnaires will be filled periodically using 'CORE-NET', a computerized system enabling repeated measurements and feedback in a user-friendly and efficient manner. Data Analysis: The evaluation of the differential influence of monitoring processes on overall efficiency as compared to control group will be tested using Multiple Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The predictive value of possible variables on process and outcome of therapy will be assessed using stratified regression analyses. The possible causal effects between specific lagged variables will be assessed using Hierarchical Linear Modeling and Time Series Analysis. Contribution: This pioneering study is the first in Israel to offer a routine systematic evaluation of therapeutic processes, as well as assessing its clinical effects. Consequently, a large and meaningful data-set will emerge, enabling significant enrichment of our evidence-based understanding of therapeutic processes.

Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in day hospitals in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and comorbid depressive or personality disorders in Poland. There is not enough evidence for its effectiveness in this environment. This study addresses this gap. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of the two kinds of day treatments consisting of intensive, short-term group therapy: psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral for patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders. Our objectives are: 1) Demonstrating effectiveness of each treatment in a day care setting relative to wait-list control; 2) Demonstrating the relative short- and long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) Preliminary examination of predictors and moderators of treatment response; and 4) Preliminary examination of mediators of therapeutic change; 5) Detailed comparison of impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of used measures. Methods/design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 123 patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; 3) waiting list (control group). Therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will be manualized (manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures are include self-report symptoms of anxiety, observer rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement and dichotomized diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Secondary outcome measures include personality, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, mindfulness and quality of life: symptoms of anxiety, depression, personality, self-esteem and defense mechanisms. Measures are taken at baseline, post-treatment and 3 months following the end of the therapy. Discussion: The randomized controlled trial format is used to compare effectiveness of intensive group cognitive-behavior therapy and intensive group psychodynamic therapy for anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders. The rationale is to investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and comorbid personality disorders can be treated in a day hospital typical for Polish healthcare system in 3 months treatment.

Mentalisation based treatment (MBT) for young people with co-morbid depression and emerging personality disorder will be more effective in a day/inpatient setting than treatment as usual.

The field of psychiatric rehabilitation focuses on creating a personal narrative and developing coping strategies and environmental supports. The concept of recovery is person-centered and emphasizes the person's ability to change and to live meaningful life. The strengths approach has a central role in the recovery concept, emphasizing the person's abilities and potential. A preserved cognitive ability can be a significant strength in the recovery process. Research had shown growing support for the use of cognitive-behavioral approaches as the most effective therapy for people with borderline personality disorder, using structured interventions. A central focus in cognitive therapy is the change of maladaptive schemes. The dynamic-cognitive intervention (DCI) is based on the understanding of structural cognitive modifiability and suggests the use of mediated learning in order to enhance sense of competence and develop better psychological coping skills. The present study will focus on women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, with normative cognitive ability seen as a strength as opposed to their emotional ability. This study will examine the effects of a Dynamic Cognitive Intervention on recovery measures and on symptoms severity. The study will include 30 women aged 18-45 years. Participants will be randomly assigned to an intervention group and a control group. All participants will be assessed before and after intervention using Recovery Assessment Scale, Hope Scale and The Brief Symptom Inventory. The intervention designed for this study is based on the principles of the Dynamic Cognitive Intervention. The intervention tools that will be used include: a. Instrumental Enrichment tools. b. life events analysis. c. Stories, lyrics and movie clips. d. Worksheets. The intervention encompasses 12 sessions of 1.5 hours, with a routine structure. The results are expected to contribute to the understanding of the impact of a dynamic cognitive intervention in women diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.