NCT06591754

Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Effects of ISTDP for Personality Disorders in a Specialized Psychiatric Clinic

A Pilotstudy Investigating Feasability, Acceptability and Preliminary Effects of ISTDP (Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) for Patients with Personality Disorder in a Psychiatric Clinic Specialized on Depression, Anxiety and PTSD

• Status: Enrolling By Invitation
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 34 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Karolinska Institutet · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a 25-week combined group and individual therapy program using Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) for patients diagnosed with personality disorders. The secondary objective is to investigate preliminary effects of the treatment in terms of reducing symtoms of depression, anxiety and emotion regulation difficulties.

Detailed description

The investigators vill investigate a 25-week treatment with ISTDP that consists of both weekly group- and individual therapy for patients diagnosed with personality disorder in a psychiatric clinic specialized on depression, anxiety and PTSD. The feasibility and acceptability and preliminary effects will be evaluated using a within-group design with repeated measures and qualitative interviews. Patients will be recruited from the clinic and the main inclusion criteria is that the patient have a personality disorder diagnosis.

Conditions

• Personality Disorder

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	ISTDP	Both the individual therapy and the group therapy is based on ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy), an affect-focused psychodynamic therapy method. The therapy focus on the relationship between feelings, anxiety and dysfunctional emotion regulation (i.e. defenses). The purpose is to increase the capacity of anxiety regulation in the patient and to help the patient identify the dysfunctional patterns developed to avoid internal stress and then gradually approach previously warded of feelings. The individual therapy consists of 25 weekly sessions. The group treatment consists of 18 weekly sessions and is structured in three phases. Phase one: Psychoeducation about anxiety and exercises in anxiety regulation. Phase two: patients takes turn to observe their own anxiety and defenses together with a therapist. Phase three: Every session two patients will work with a chosen problem and identify defenses, anxiety and feelings together with a therapist in front of the group.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-09
• Primary completion: 2027-12-31
• Completion: 2027-12-31
• First posted: 2024-09-19
• Last updated: 2024-09-19

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Sweden