Mentalization‐based treatment in groups for adolescents with borderline personality disorder: a randomized controlled trial

• DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13152
• Publication Date: 2019-11-08T13:00:07Z
• Authors: Emma Beck; Sune Bo; Mie Sedoc Jørgensen; Matthias Gondan; Stig Poulsen; Ole Jakob Storebø; Christian Fjeller...; Espen Folmo; Carla Sharp; Jesper Pedersen; Erik Simonsen
• Keywords: Mentalization

Background Borderline personality disorder (BPD) typically onsets in adolescence and predicts later functional disability adulthood. Highly structured evidence‐based psychotherapeutic programs, including mentalization‐based treatment (MBT), are first choice treatment. The efficacy of MBT for BPD has mainly been tested with adults, no RCT examined the effectiveness groups (MBT‐G) adolescent BPD. Method A total 112 adolescents (111 females) (106) or symptoms ≥4 DSM‐5 criteria (5) referred to child psychiatric outpatient clinics were randomized a 1‐year MBT‐G, consisting three introductory, psychoeducative sessions, 37 weekly group five individual case formulation six sessions caregivers, as usual (TAU) at least 12 monthly sessions. primary outcome was score on borderline features scale children (BPFS‐C); secondary outcomes included self‐harm, depression, externalizing internalizing (all self‐report), caregiver reports, social functioning, rated by blinded clinicians. Outcome assessments made baseline, after 10, 20, 30 weeks, end (EOT). ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT02068326. Results At EOT, 71.3 ( SD = 15.0) MBT‐G 15.2) TAU (adjusted mean difference 0.4 BPFS‐C units favor 95% confidence interval −6.3 7.1, p .91). No significant differences found outcomes. 29% both remitted. completed less than half compared 7% control group. Conclusions There indication superiority either therapy method. low remission rate points importance continued research into early intervention. Specifically, retention problems need be addressed.