Improving cognitive functioning in borderline personality disorder
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT): it is a feasible and acceptable psychological treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD)?
IRAS ID
131464
Contact name
Clare Reeder
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Research summary
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) affects 1-2% of the population and is associated with high levels of service use, distress, deliberate self-harm, challenging behaviour and interpersonal difficulties. One of the factors which is likely to contribute significantly to these problems is cognitive impairment which is well established in BPD (i.e. thinking skills problems in memory, concentration and problem-solving). Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) is a psychological treatment which aims to improve cognitive functioning and has shown to be effective for people with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Its strengths are not only in targeting cognitive functioning, but also in its method of delivery: it does not focus on emotions and relies heavily on positive reinforcement and experiences of success. This may be particularly helpful in developing therapeutic relationships and engaging people with a BPD diagnosis who frequently struggle to develop secure relationships and to manage their emotions. To date, CRT has not been used with this patient group except in a few small case series. The first stages in adapting CRT should be to identify appropriate cognitive targets for the intervention. If cognitive improvements are to have maximum benefit, it would be best to choose cognitive functions which are associated with real-life functioning. In Phase 1 we will investigate these associations between cognitive functions, symptoms, social functioning and costs in a group of people with BPD and compare these to the performance of a sample of healthy controls. We will also assess patients’ perception of their own cognitive problems. In Phase 2 we will adapt an existing CRT programme for BPD and pilot this therapy programme with up to 15 people with a BPD diagnosis. This research will provide us with feasibility and pilot data to inform the development of a larger study of CRT for BPD.
REC name
London - Camberwell St Giles Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1051
Date of REC Opinion
13 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion