Implementation of outpatient schema therapy for borderline personality disorder with versus without crisis support by the therapist outside office hours: A randomized trial.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to evaluate the success of implementing outpatient schema focused therapy (ST) for borderline patients in regular mental healthcare and to determine the added value of therapist telephone availability outside office hours in case of crisis (TTA).


METHODS
To enhance the implementation, the following adaptations regarding the original ST protocol were applied: a reduction in the frequency and duration of the therapy; training therapists of eight regular healthcare centers in ST with a structured and piloted program supported by a set of films (DVDs) with examples of ST techniques; training and supervision given by Dutch experts. Telephone availability outside office hours was randomly allocated to 50% of the therapists of each treatment center. Patient's outcome measures were assessed with a semi-structured interview and self-report measures on BPD, quality of life, general psychopathology and an ST questionnaire, before, during and after treatment.


RESULTS
Data on 62 DSM-IV defined BPD patients were available. Intention-to-treat analyses showed that after 1.5 years of ST 42% of the patients had recovered from BPD. No added value of therapist telephone availability (TTA) was found on the BPDSI score nor on any other measure after 1.5 years of ST.


CONCLUSIONS
ST for BPD can be successfully implemented in regular mental healthcare. Treatment results and dropout were comparable to a previous clinical trail. No additional effect of extra crisis support with TTA outside office hours ST was found.
Nadort
Marjon
M
GGZ inGeest, Department of Psychiatry and EMGO Institute, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, A.J. Ernststraat 887, 1081 HL Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.nadort@ggzingeest.nl
Arntz
Arnoud
A
Smit
Johannes H
JH
Giesen-Bloo
Josephine
J
Eikelenboom
Merijn
M
Spinhoven
Philip
P
van Asselt
Thea
T
Wensing
Michel
M
van Dyck
Richard
R
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010045:Outpatients; D019114:Remote Consultation; D016896:Treatment Outcome