Borderline Personality DisorderNCT00714311
Efficacy of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
A study testing Transference-Focused Psychotherapy and treatment by experienced community psychotherapists in people with Borderline Personality Disorder, run by University Hospital Muenster at 2 sites in 2 countries.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to find out whether Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is effective in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 45 years, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Transference-Focused Psychotherapy and treatment by experienced community psychotherapists
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 104 participants
- Where
- 2 sitesin 2 countries
- Study dates
- Oct 2004to Feb 2015
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 45 years
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Written informed consent to the participation in the study
- Diagnosis of BPD according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II
- Age between 18 and 45 years
- Sufficient knowledge of the German language
Who cannot join
- Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe substance abuse, organic pathology, or mental retardation according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-I
- Diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II
Trial locations and contacts
2 sites in 2 countries.
2 sites in 2 countries
Austria1 site
Dept. of Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, Medical University Vienna
Vienna, State of Vienna, 1090
Germany1 site
Dept. of Psychiatry, Technical University of Munich
Munich, Bavaria, 81675
About this study
Official title: A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy vs. Treatment by Experienced Community Psychotherapists for Borderline Personality Disorder
The purpose of this study is to find out whether Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is effective in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Read the detailed description
Borderline personality disorder represents a sever clinical condition that affects 1-2% of the community and is characterized by a pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, as well as a marked impulsivity; up to 10% of the patients commit suicide.
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is one psychotherapeutic approach among five that have been manualized and evaluated in RCTs. So far, TFP has not been compared to a control condition which is a crucial step in the evaluation of the efficacy of a psychosocial intervention.
This study is an RCT that compares one year of outpatient TFP to treatment by experienced community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder.
- Conditions
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Being tested
- Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, treatment by experienced community psychotherapists
- Keywords
- borderline personality disorder, randomized controlled trial, Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, treatment by experienced community psychotherapists
- Medical subject headings
- Borderline Personality Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Transference-Focused PsychotherapyBehavioural
Outpatient psychotherapy according to the treatment manual, sessions of 50 minutes twice per week
treatment by experienced community psychotherapistsBehavioural
Outpatient psychotherapy in private practices or outpatient units of psychiatric hospitals. Licensed psychotherapists with experience and special interest in the treatment of borderline patients are treating according to the method they have learned.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| TFP | Active comparator | Transference-Focused Psychotherapy Receives: Behavioral: Transference-Focused Psychotherapy |
| ECP | Active comparator | treatment by experienced community psychotherapists Receives: Behavioral: treatment by experienced community psychotherapists |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Drop-out
Did not finish one year of treatment.
Measured: 1 year
Suicidality (Suicide Attempts)
Measured: 1 year
Secondary outcomes (6)
Psychosocial Functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning, GAF-Score)
Measured: 1 year
Level of Personality Organization (Structured Interview for Personality Organization, STIPO)
Measured: 1 year
Number of Self-harming Acts
Measured: 1 year
Self-assessment of Psychopathology (BDI, STAI, BSI)
Measured: 1 year
Attachment Style and Reflective Function (Adult Attachment Interview, AAI)
Measured: 1 year
Borderline Symptomatology (DSM-IV Criteria)
Measured: 1 month
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jul 2008 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2004
- Primary completionFeb 2009
- Study completionFeb 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (7)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Borderline Personality DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 104 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital Muenster
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, doerings, University Hospital Muenster
- Investigators
- Stephan Doering, MD, Principal investigator, University of Muenster, Germany
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00714311
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 1106/04
- Other IDs
- 10636, DPG0802
- Status last verified
- Feb 2015
- First submitted
- 9 Jul 2008
- Last updated
- 16 Feb 2015
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Clarkin JF, Levy KN, Lenzenweger MF, Kernberg OF. Evaluating three treatments for borderline personality disorder: a multiwave study. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;164(6):922-8. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.922.
PubMed 17541052Levy KN, Meehan KB, Kelly KM, Reynoso JS, Weber M, Clarkin JF, Kernberg OF. Change in attachment patterns and reflective function in a randomized control trial of transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006 Dec;74(6):1027-1040. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.6.1027.
PubMed 17154733Kernberg OF, Yeomans FE, Clarkin JF, Levy KN. Transference focused psychotherapy: overview and update. Int J Psychoanal. 2008 Jun;89(3):601-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-8315.2008.00046.x.
PubMed 18558958Schmitz-Riol S, Fuchshuber J, Herpertz J, Buchheim A, Horz-Sagstetter S, Rentrop M, Fischer-Kern M, Buchheim P, Taylor J, Tmej A, Weihs KL, Lane RD, Doering S. Emotion word repertoire in the adult attachment interview predicts a reduction of non-suicidal self-injury in the psychotherapy of borderline personality disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 28;25(1):832. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07300-6.
PubMed 40877786Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.
PubMed 33884617Storebo OJ, Stoffers-Winterling JM, Vollm BA, Kongerslev MT, Mattivi JT, Jorgensen MS, Faltinsen E, Todorovac A, Sales CP, Callesen HE, Lieb K, Simonsen E. Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 May 4;5(5):CD012955. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012955.pub2.
PubMed 32368793Doering S, Horz S, Rentrop M, Fischer-Kern M, Schuster P, Benecke C, Buchheim A, Martius P, Buchheim P. Transference-focused psychotherapy v. treatment by community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2010 May;196(5):389-95. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.070177.
PubMed 20435966
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Feb 2015. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy vs. Treatment by Experienced Community Psychotherapists for Borderline Personality Disorder
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00714311
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 1106/04
- Conditions
- Borderline Personality Disorder
- Keywords
- borderline personality disorder, randomized controlled trial, Transference-Focused Psychotherapy, treatment by experienced community psychotherapists
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 104 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University Hospital MuensterUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- Oct 2004
- Primary completion
- Feb 2009 (actual)
- Study completion
- Feb 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Jul 2008 (estimated)
- Results
- Posted 16 Feb 2015
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to find out whether Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is effective in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.
Detailed description
Borderline personality disorder represents a sever clinical condition that affects 1-2% of the community and is characterized by a pervasive instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, as well as a marked impulsivity; up to 10% of the patients commit suicide.
Transference-Focused Psychotherapy (TFP) is one psychotherapeutic approach among five that have been manualized and evaluated in RCTs. So far, TFP has not been compared to a control condition which is a crucial step in the evaluation of the efficacy of a psychosocial intervention.
This study is an RCT that compares one year of outpatient TFP to treatment by experienced community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| TFP | Active comparator | Behavioral: Transference-Focused PsychotherapyTransference-Focused Psychotherapy |
| ECP | Active comparator | Behavioral: treatment by experienced community psychotherapiststreatment by experienced community psychotherapists |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 45 years
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Written informed consent to the participation in the study
- Diagnosis of BPD according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II
- Age between 18 and 45 years
- Sufficient knowledge of the German language
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe substance abuse, organic pathology, or mental retardation according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-I
- Diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder according to DSM-IV as assessed using the SCID-II
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Transference-Focused PsychotherapyOutpatient psychotherapy according to the treatment manual, sessions of 50 minutes twice per week | Behavioural | TFP |
| treatment by experienced community psychotherapistsOutpatient psychotherapy in private practices or outpatient units of psychiatric hospitals. Licensed psychotherapists with experience and special interest in the treatment of borderline patients are treating according to the method they have learned. | Behavioural | ECP |
Primary outcome
Drop-out
Time frame: 1 year
Did not finish one year of treatment.
Suicidality (Suicide Attempts)
Time frame: 1 year
6 secondary outcomes
Psychosocial Functioning (Global Assessment of Functioning, GAF-Score)
Time frame: 1 year
Level of Personality Organization (Structured Interview for Personality Organization, STIPO)
Time frame: 1 year
Number of Self-harming Acts
Time frame: 1 year
Self-assessment of Psychopathology (BDI, STAI, BSI)
Time frame: 1 year
Attachment Style and Reflective Function (Adult Attachment Interview, AAI)
Time frame: 1 year
Borderline Symptomatology (DSM-IV Criteria)
Time frame: 1 month
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Feb 2015.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Background: PubMed 17541052Clarkin JF, Levy KN, Lenzenweger MF, Kernberg OF. Evaluating three treatments for borderline personality disorder: a multiwave study. Am J Psychiatry. 2007 Jun;164(6):922-8. doi: 10.1176/ajp.2007.164.6.922.
- Background: PubMed 17154733Levy KN, Meehan KB, Kelly KM, Reynoso JS, Weber M, Clarkin JF, Kernberg OF. Change in attachment patterns and reflective function in a randomized control trial of transference-focused psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006 Dec;74(6):1027-1040. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.6.1027.
- Background: PubMed 18558958Kernberg OF, Yeomans FE, Clarkin JF, Levy KN. Transference focused psychotherapy: overview and update. Int J Psychoanal. 2008 Jun;89(3):601-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-8315.2008.00046.x.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40877786Schmitz-Riol S, Fuchshuber J, Herpertz J, Buchheim A, Horz-Sagstetter S, Rentrop M, Fischer-Kern M, Buchheim P, Taylor J, Tmej A, Weihs KL, Lane RD, Doering S. Emotion word repertoire in the adult attachment interview predicts a reduction of non-suicidal self-injury in the psychotherapy of borderline personality disorder. BMC Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 28;25(1):832. doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-07300-6.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 33884617Witt KG, Hetrick SE, Rajaram G, Hazell P, Taylor Salisbury TL, Townsend E, Hawton K. Psychosocial interventions for self-harm in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 22;4(4):CD013668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD013668.pub2.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 32368793Storebo OJ, Stoffers-Winterling JM, Vollm BA, Kongerslev MT, Mattivi JT, Jorgensen MS, Faltinsen E, Todorovac A, Sales CP, Callesen HE, Lieb K, Simonsen E. Psychological therapies for people with borderline personality disorder. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2020 May 4;5(5):CD012955. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012955.pub2.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 20435966Doering S, Horz S, Rentrop M, Fischer-Kern M, Schuster P, Benecke C, Buchheim A, Martius P, Buchheim P. Transference-focused psychotherapy v. treatment by community psychotherapists for borderline personality disorder: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry. 2010 May;196(5):389-95. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.109.070177.
Related trials for Borderline Personality Disorder
Recruiting
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Versus Theta Burst Stimulation on Impulsivity, Emotional Dysregulation, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Borderline Personality Disorder Patients
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Not yet recruitingPhase 2
Ketamine Infusion for Symptomatic Improvement in Severe Borderline Personality Disorder
Infusion of Ketamine in Severe Borderline Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Recruiting
Combining Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation With Emotion Regulation Skills Training in Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
RecruitingPhase 2
MDMA in Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Active, not recruitingPhase 2
Mindfulness-based Neurofeedback to Augment Psychotherapy for Adults With Borderline Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Stephan Doering, MD principal investigator
University of Muenster, Germany
2 sites in 2 countries: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Transference-Focused Psychotherapy and treatment by experienced community psychotherapists in people with Borderline Personality Disorder, run by University Hospital Muenster at 2 sites in 2 countries.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Feb 2015. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 2 sites in Austria, Germany. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 16 Feb 2015). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Drop-out (time frame: 1 year). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00714311, which also lists 7 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Feb 2015.