Predictors and moderators in psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: Meta-analyses of individual participant data

Project title

Predictors and moderators in psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: Meta-analyses of individual participant data

Project manager

Johanne Pereira Ribeiro

Project description

Background:
This project investigates individual and clinical characteristics in people with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is a mental illness, which occurs across age, gender and social status. It often appears in adolescents and has significant long-term consequences for the inflicted, their relatives and the health care system. People with BPD form a heterogeneous patient group and there is already evidence that all types of psychotherapy are beneficial in treatment, however this PhD project will investigate for whom the various types of psychotherapy will have the best effect.

Objectives:
The purpose of this project is to investigate if characteristics such as age, gender, comorbidities or borderline specific symptoms can affect treatment outcomes of various psychotherapeutic treatments. Such characteristics may work as predictors and moderators for the outcome effect of treatment with various specialized types of psychotherapy. Identifying predictors and moderators is a key to refine and tailor standard treatments so it matches the specificities of the individual.

Methods:
The project consist of three individual participant data meta-analyses that will investigate predictors and moderators on:

• Borderline symptoms and interpersonal functioning;
• Self-harm and suicide related outcomes;
• Quality of life and psychosocial functioning.

Perspectives:
The results of this PhD project may have a significant influence in clinical practise as it can serve as evidence base for future clinical recommendations. Overall, this will help to ensure that more people with BPD will receive a treatment, which is adapted to individual needs and hereby improve health and quality of life for the inflicted.

Start date and expected end date

01.03.2022 – 28.02.2025

Main supervisor

Ole Jakob Storebø, Professor, Department of Psychology, SDU

Co-supervisors

Mickey T. Kongerslev, Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, SDU

The project is carried out under

CH:LD Research Group

Collaborators

Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatry Region Zealand

Funding

Region Zealand Health Scientific Research Foundation;
Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatry Region Zealand;
Region Zealand

Keywords

Borderline personality disorder, psychotherapy, Individual participant data, IPD, IPD-MA