Efficacy of "DBT-LIVE", an Identity Skills Training Program, for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

DBT LIVE: Identity disturbance skills based on DBT

TAU: Treatment as usual

Study summary

The main objective of this project is to adapt and evaluate the LIVE Skill module in the Spanish population. LIVE Skill is a psychological intervention protocol specifically designed to address identity disturbances in individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The project aims to examine its effectiveness in reducing identity disturbances, emotional regulation difficulties, and suicidal behavior, as well as in improving self-compassion, meaning in life, and personality functioning. In addition, the efficiency and feasibility of the program will be assessed by evaluating its acceptability among both patients and professionals, and its dissemination will be promoted to maximize its clinical impact.

The methodology includes a sample of approximately 112 individuals diagnosed with BPD, recruited through the Valencian Association for Personality Disorders (ASVA-TP), who will be allocated into two groups. The project is structured into five studies. First, a qualitative pilot feasibility study will be conducted with approximately 30 participants through focus groups and interviews in order to refine the intervention protocol. The second study will describe the randomized clinical trial protocol, including the interventions and assessment procedures. Subsequently, a randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be carried out, comparing LIVE Skill with treatment as usual (TAU), with assessments conducted at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and six-month follow-up. Following the trial, a qualitative evaluation will be undertaken to identify treatment facilitators and barriers. Finally, the psychometric validation of the questionnaires used in the study will be conducted.

The protocol will collect sociodemographic data and measures of identity, emotional regulation, self-compassion, meaning in life, suicidal ideation and behavior, personality functioning, as well as treatment acceptability and feasibility. Participants will provide informed consent and complete an initial assessment to confirm eligibility according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• Self-concept and Identity Measure (SCIM) (Kaufman et al., 2015) — baseline; immediately after the intervention; 6 months
  It is a 27-item self-report instrument designed to evaluate identity consolidation and clinically significant identity disturbance. The SCIM items were created to assess key components of identity, as well as the presence or absence of disturbances in these areas. These components include: a) the continuity of self-concept and roles across different settings and interpersonal contexts, b) the consistency of personal values and interests, c) self-esteem, d) differentiation between oneself and others, and e) self-cohesion, understood as the feeling of being whole or complete. Participants were asked to rate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with 27 statements. Responses were provided on a 7-point scale ranging from 1 to 7 (1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = somewhat disagree, 4 = neither agree nor disagree, 5 = somewhat agree, 6 = agree, and 7 = strongly agree). Subscale scores were computed according to the direction of the construct being measured.
• Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (Gratz & Roemer, 2004); Spanish validation of Hervás & Jódar (2008). — baseline; immediately after the intervention; 6 months
  It adapted into Spanish by Hervás \& Jódar (2008), comprises 28 items that assess difficulties in several domains of emotion regulation, including emotional non-acceptance, emotional neglect, everyday interference, emotional confusion, and emotional dyscontrol. Responses are given on a 5-point Likert scale (1 = almost never; 5 = almost always), with higher scores indicating greater difficulties in emotion regulation. The Spanish version demonstrated high internal consistency .93 and acceptable psychometric properties, as well as convergent and incremental validity in both cross-sectional (N = 254) and longitudinal (N = 60) samples. This makes it a suitable and validated instrument for assessing difficulties in emotion regulation in Spanish-speaking adult populations.

Trial sites (1)

More Universidad Europea de Valencia trials in Spain