Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder (PTSD-BPD)

Status unconfirmed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder

In brief

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with co-occurring Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) (i.e., PTSD-BPD) is common (as high as 58%), debilitating, costly, and limited treatment options available for this population. PTSD-BPD is associated with even greater functional impairment and higher healthcare burden than either disorder alone. There are surprisingly few treatments available for this clinical profile, despite its association with major negative health outcomes, cost, and morbidity. There is a pressing need to innovate treatments that can effectively and efficiently treat PTSD-BPD. The existing treatments used for PTSD-BPD are lengthy, laborious, resource-intensive, and require complete cessation of suicidal behaviors prior to treatment. Furthermore, no integrated treatment has been innovated to deliver the active ingredients to efficiently affect the mechanisms underpinning this comorbidity. The investigators propose to examine an adapted version of a first-line PTSD intervention, Cognitive Processing Therapy, augmented with a Suicide Risk Management, i.e., (CPT+SRM) as a brief (12 sessions) and more parsimonious treatment alternative that strategically targets shared mechanisms underpinning PTSD and BPD. The purpose of this pilot study is to 1) collect initial feasibility, acceptability, and safety data on this adapted treatment, 2) conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of CPT+SRM versus Treatment as Usual (TAU) + SRM, and 3) evaluate two targets (i.e, improvements in emotional intensity and cognitive dysfunction) as mechanisms leading to change in our primary outcomes. Both treatment conditions will be administered via telehealth. Potential benefits include reduction in participants' PTSD, BPD and other mental health symptoms. Additionally, this work could benefit the community by improving the treatment repertoire for PTSD-BPD. Potential risks include emotional distress, suicidality, and/or self-harm. Participants may experience discomfort and/or distress while discussing participants trauma(s) and mental health. These risks will be mitigated using a suicide risk management protocol which therapists in the assessment of risk and protective factors of suicide, followed by documentation for the decision-making around the management of risk.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT04230668

Run by

Palo Alto University

People needed

33

Starts

2022-10-01

Expected to finish

2025-01-31

Last updated by the study team

2024-01-17

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Aged 18-65 years
• Must reside in the Bay Area, CA
• Current DSM-5 diagnosis of PTSD and BPD
• Must be willing to be audio- or videorecorded for assessment and treatment sessions

You may not qualify if…

• Acute mania, acute psychosis, or intellectual disability
• Conditions requiring medical attention to a potentially life-threatening illness (e.g., severe anorexia nervosa)
• Severe impairments in written and aural comprehension
• EU individuals

Where it is running

• Palo Alto University — Palo Alto, California, United States (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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