Completed

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Suicidal Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder in the Emergency Department

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What is being tested

Brief 4-session intervention for borderline personality disorder

+ Treatment as usual

Behavioral
Who is being recruted

Behavior+4

+ Mental Disorders

+ Behavioral Symptoms

Over 16 Years
+6 Eligibility Criteria
See all eligibility criteria
How is the trial designed

Treatment Study

Interventional
Study Start: October 2021
See protocol details

Summary

Principal SponsorCentre for Addiction and Mental Health
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Study start date: October 22, 2021

Actual date on which the first participant was enrolled.

When in crisis, people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) frequently seek care in emergency departments (EDs) often presenting with suicide and self-harm behaviour. There is no established evidence-based brief intervention for patients with BPD in ED settings, however a 4-session psychotherapeutic intervention for people with personality disorders in ED settings was tested in Australia and showed promising results in reduced health care utilization. The proposed pilot randomized controlled trial will assess the feasibility of delivering this 4-session intervention in the ED for people with BPD who present with suicidal ideation or self-harm with the aim of reducing health care utilization.

Official TitlePilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Psychological Intervention for Suicidal Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder in the Emergency Department
NCT04779099
Principal SponsorCentre for Addiction and Mental Health
Last updated: January 28, 2026
Sourced from a government-validated database.Claim as a partner

Protocol

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.
Design Details

60 patients to be enrolled

Total number of participants that the clinical trial aims to recruit.

Treatment Study

These studies test new ways to treat a disease, condition, or health issue. The goal is to see if a new drug, therapy, or approach works better or has fewer side effects than existing options.

Eligibility

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria: person's general health condition or prior treatments.
Conditions
Criteria

Any sex

Biological sex of participants that are eligible to enroll.

Over 16 Years

Range of ages for which participants are eligible to join.

Healthy volunteers not allowed

If individuals who are healthy and do not have the condition being studied can participate.

Conditions

Pathology

BehaviorMental DisordersBehavioral SymptomsBorderline Personality DisorderPersonality DisordersSuicideSelf-Injurious Behavior

Criteria

3 inclusion criteria required to participate
aged 16 or older
presenting to ED with self-harm and/or suicidal ideation; and
meeting criteria for BPD on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Personality Disorders
3 exclusion criteria prevent from participating
unable to give informed consent;
meeting DSM-5 criteria for severe substance use disorder, schizophrenia spectrum disorder or bipolar disorder I mania based on the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (28); and/or
IQ < 70 based on the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading

Study Plan

Find out more about all the medication administered in this study, their detailed description and what they involve.
Treatment Groups
Study Objectives

2 intervention groups are designated in this study

This study does not include a placebo group 

Treatment Groups

Group I

Experimental

Group II

Active Comparator

Study Objectives

Primary Objectives

Study Centers

These are the hospitals, clinics, or research facilities where the trial is being conducted. You can find the location closest to you and its status.

This study has 1 location

Suspended

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Toronto, CanadaOpen Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Google Maps
CompletedOne Study Center