Transference-focused psychotherapy v. treatment by community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder: randomised controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Transference-focused psychotherapy is a manualised treatment for borderline personality disorder.


OBJECTIVE
To compare transference-focused psychotherapy with treatment by experienced community psychotherapists.


METHODS
In a randomised controlled trial (NCT00714311) 104 female out-patients were treated for 1 year with either transference-focused psychotherapy or by an experienced community psychotherapist.


RESULTS
Significantly fewer participants dropped out of the transference-focused psychotherapy group (38.5% v. 67.3%) and also significantly fewer attempted suicide (d = 0.8, P = 0.009). Transference-focused psychotherapy was significantly superior in the domains of borderline symptomatology (d = 1.6, P = 0.001), psychosocial functioning (d = 1.0, P = 0.002), personality organisation (d = 1.0, P = 0.001) and psychiatric in-patient admissions (d = 0.5, P = 0.001). Both groups improved significantly in the domains of depression and anxiety and the transference-focused psychotherapy group in general psychopathology, all without significant group differences (d = 0.3-0.5). Self-harming behaviour did not change in either group.


CONCLUSIONS
Transference-focused psychotherapy is more efficacious than treatment by experienced community psychotherapists in the domains of borderline symptomatology, psychosocial functioning, and personality organisation. Moreover, there is preliminary evidence for a superiority in the reduction of suicidality and need for psychiatric in-patient treatment.
Doering
Stephan
S
Department of Prosthodontics and Material Sciences, University of Muenster, Waldeyerstrasse 30 48149 Muenster, Germany. Stephan.doering@ukmuenster.de
Hörz
Susanne
S
Rentrop
Michael
M
Fischer-Kern
Melitta
M
Schuster
Peter
P
Benecke
Cord
C
Buchheim
Anna
A
Martius
Philipp
P
Buchheim
Peter
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014167:Transference, Psychology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D011619:Psychotropic Drugs