Borderline Personality Disorder

The GENESIS clinical study aims to map HLA genetic variation in the Greek population and evaluate possible correlations with selected underlying diseases. It is a multicenter, prospective, non-interventional clinical study targeting 12,000 subjects over an anticipated duration of 36 months, with the goal of creating a pilot HLA map for medical research and possible clinical applications. Each subject will complete one visit at a participating site and provide demographic information, including date of birth, gender, race, ancestry, height, and weight, as well as information about smoking or vaping, alcohol consumption, arterial blood pressure, diagnosed diseases, and current treatments. Recent clinical laboratory results from up to 12 months before sample collection may also be collected when available, including blood count, metabolic, liver enzyme, and biochemical parameters. Two buccal swabs will be collected from each subject for DNA extraction and HLA genotyping analysis. Selected DNA samples will also undergo low-pass whole genome sequencing to further investigate associations between the HLA region and autoimmune diseases. After the analysis is completed, an individualized ancestry report will be securely available to study subjects if they elect to access it.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth, and rates in the US are rising despite prevention efforts. Researchers are evaluating a digital platform called Vira to improve how care is delivered to adolescents at high risk for suicide. This platform aims to use smartphone data and secure communication tools to better understand and manage risk factors like psychological distress, anhedonia, behavioral withdrawal, and sleep problems in young people receiving intensive outpatient treatment. The study compares two groups of adolescent patients aged 13 to 18 years old who are in an intensive outpatient Dialectical Behavior Therapy DBT program. One group uses the Vira platform, which collects data passively from smartphone sensors about activity, sleep, mobility, and mood-related language. Vira also prompts daily check-ins and supports practitioners with reminders to encourage behavior changes. The other group receives the usual treatment with the addition of a passive monitoring app called EARS. Participants will use their assigned app during their intensive outpatient treatment. Researchers will assess outcomes using tools like the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale and Scale for Suicidal Ideation over six months. Other measures include anxiety, risky behaviors, sleep quality, mood, and pleasure scales at three and six months. The study monitors clinical outcomes to determine if the digital platform enhances care for youth at risk of suicide.

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness and feasibility of Narrative Enhancement and Cognitive Therapy NECT, a group-based treatment designed to reduce self-stigma in people with mental disorders. Self-stigma involves internalizing negative stereotypes which can harm treatment adherence, self-esteem, quality of life, and increase despair or suicide risk. This pragmatic, multicenter, randomized controlled trial includes 416 patients from 26 mental health centers in Northeast Italy, aiming to improve psychological outcomes like self-esteem, hope, empowerment, recovery perception, and mental well-being. Participants in the intervention group will attend 20 one-hour NECT group sessions divided into five parts orientation, psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, narrative enhancement, and conclusion. The therapy helps challenge stigmatizing beliefs and fosters a positive self-narrative. This group therapy is provided alongside participants usual care, which may include medication and psychosocial treatments. The control group will continue their standard care without NECT. The study lasts about 12 months, with a 2-month recruitment phase, 5 months of intervention, and 5 months for data analysis and publication. Participants will undergo assessments at enrollment and after the 20-week intervention to measure changes in self-stigma, self-esteem, hope, empowerment, recovery perception, mental well-being, and stigma-related stress. Treatment fidelity will be monitored through session recordings. The study also tracks feasibility by evaluating participation rates and feedback. All participants remain under their usual care throughout the study, and data collection includes monitoring care received during the trial.

Researchers are evaluating the ViraSafe app, an enhanced version of the BRITE suicide safety planning app, to improve engagement with coping skills and safety planning among suicidal adolescents aged 13 to 24. This pragmatic randomized trial compares the new ViraSafe app integrated into the Vira behavior change platform with the original BRITE app, aiming to address rising youth suicide rates by using digital tools for intervention. The study focuses on youth who have experienced recent suicidal thoughts or attempts and are receiving care in clinical settings. Participants are randomly assigned to use either ViraSafe or BRITE. ViraSafe integrates safety planning and coping skills into a smartphone app with automated just-in-time reminders and daily distress ratings, supported by clinicians who can send additional nudges. The BRITE app offers self-monitoring, a safety plan, distress level ratings, and suggested coping activities based on distress. Both groups onboard the assigned app with a trained clinician or research staff. The trial lasts three months with assessments at baseline, one month, and three months. Participants complete virtual assessments including interviews and self-report measures at baseline, one month, and three months. Some participants using ViraSafe will take part in qualitative exit interviews for feedback. The study collects data on app engagement, technology acceptance, and suicide risk factors using standardized tools. Safety plans remain accessible throughout, and mental health indicators are monitored through self-reports and passive smartphone data. The total participation time is about three months, with ongoing support from clinical providers.

Researchers are evaluating a mentalization-based prevention program aimed at improving well-being and mental health in children aged 8 to 10 years and their families across four European countries Germany, Lithuania, Spain, and Switzerland. The study is designed as a partially randomized controlled trial and investigates how multi-level interventions involving children, parents, and teachers can promote mental health, reduce stigma, enhance help-seeking behavior, and improve classroom climate and parenting skills. The program includes a universal prevention workshop delivered at schools for all children, focusing on mental health awareness and peer support skills. Parents receive one of two different intervention trainings or a parenting guidebook one group attends 10 weekly sessions of the Lighthouse Program targeting secure attachment and reflective parenting behaviors, and another group participates in 6 bi-weekly Mentalization Based Skills Training sessions focusing on attentional control and emotion regulation. An active control group receives a parenting guidebook, while a passive control group participates in follow-up assessments without intervention. Participants will be involved in data collection at multiple time points baseline, post-intervention at 3 months, and follow-ups at 6 and 12 months. Assessments include questionnaires measuring childrens and parents well-being and mental health, parental efficacy and stress, classroom climate, teaching efficacy, and mental health stigma. Focus groups after the post-assessment will gather feedback on implementation and satisfaction. The study aims to follow 5,000 children, their parents, and teachers over a year to evaluate long-term program effects.

Researchers are investigating the effects of a multidomain lifestyle intervention to slow cognitive decline and dementia risk in elderly residents aged 60 to 80 in Zhejiang Province, China. The study builds on findings from Finland, where a similar approach combining physical activity, nutrition, cognitive training, social activities, and vascular risk management showed promise in healthy older adults at risk of cognitive decline. This trial aims to explore how such an intervention may change brain structure and function as well as cognitive abilities in an Asian population. Participants are randomly assigned to either a structured multidomain intervention group or a self-guided control group. The intervention group receives tailored nutritional guidance, cognitive training, physical exercises, and vascular risk monitoring, all adapted to Chinese cultural norms. The control group receives regular health education campaigns and basic health monitoring every 6 to 12 months. This trial runs for two years with ongoing assessments to evaluate the impact of these lifestyle changes. During the study, participants undergo various evaluations including cognitive tests measuring global and domain-specific cognition, neuroimaging scans like MRI and fMRI, laboratory blood tests, and physical performance measures such as grip strength and gait speed. Questionnaires assess quality of life, depression, sleep quality, and daily activities. Researchers also monitor cardiovascular health, dementia onset, and falls. This comprehensive monitoring will help determine the interventions effects on brain health and daily functioning over the 24-month period.

Researchers are evaluating the effects of a smartphone-based Healthy Lifestyle HLS intervention on the mental and physical health of firefighters in Tainan, Taiwan. This cluster randomized controlled trial aims to determine if the Traditional Chinese version of the HLS mobile app can improve firefighters health compared to usual care. The study also seeks to find out whether the intervention can promote a healthier lifestyle and reduce the risk of chronic non-communicable diseases among firefighters. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which uses the Traditional Chinese HLS mobile app designed specifically for firefighters, or the control group, which receives usual care. The intervention period lasts from 3 to 6 months, during which firefighters in the intervention group will use the app to support healthier behaviors. The control group will continue with their standard practices without the app. Throughout the study, firefighters will undergo health and fitness assessments at the start and again 3 to 6 months after the intervention begins. Measurements include blood pressure, depressive symptoms, PTSD symptoms, body mass index, smoking habits, diet patterns, physical activity levels, sitting time, sleep duration and napping frequency, glycated hemoglobin, lipid profiles, C-reactive protein, and physical performance. The study will monitor these outcomes to assess changes in mental and physical health. Safety and progress will be observed through these regular evaluations during the study period.

Borderline Personality Disorder BPD is a common and serious psychiatric condition that affects millions worldwide, leading to significant difficulties in daily life and high rates of suicidal thoughts and actions. Young women are especially at risk, with BPD being diagnosed three times more often in women than men. The causes of BPD are complex, involving both biological and environmental factors such as abuse and family issues, which contribute to emotional and behavioral challenges. Currently, no medications are specifically approved to treat BPD effectively, and many patients struggle with existing treatments due to side effects or lack of response. Researchers are evaluating a novel drug that blocks a brain receptor called NMDA, which has been approved for Alzheimers disease and is being studied for other psychiatric conditions. In this trial, 150 adults with BPD will be randomly assigned to receive either the study drug at a dose of 20 mg daily or a placebo, in addition to their current antipsychotic treatment, for 12 weeks. The trial is double-blind, meaning neither participants nor researchers know who receives the drug or placebo, to fairly assess the drugs effects. Participants will be closely monitored throughout the study with regular assessments of their borderline symptoms and cognitive function using specific rating scales at multiple time points over 12 weeks. Safety and tolerability will also be observed. This thorough evaluation aims to determine whether adding this novel drug can improve symptoms and functioning in people living with BPD during and at the end of the treatment period.

This research aims to evaluate the acceptability, safety, and early effectiveness of a smartphone-delivered behavioral intervention called Therapeutic Evaluative Conditioning for Suicide TEC-S. The study focuses on adults aged 18 and older who experience recent and frequent suicidal thoughts and behaviors. It seeks to understand how this intervention may help reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors through altering attitudes toward suicide. Participants will have optional access to the active TEC-S intervention for 30 days, which involves a computerized task pairing suicidal stimuli with negative images and self-related stimuli with positive images. Alongside this, participants will receive three daily ecological momentary assessments EMAs to monitor suicidal thoughts, safety, and acceptability. Weekly behavioral and self-report tests will help assess how the treatment may work. During the study, participants will complete daily and weekly assessments about their suicidal thoughts, urges, behaviors, and related feelings. Researchers will monitor the acceptability and safety of TEC-S throughout the 30-day treatment phase. The total participation period includes this treatment phase, with regular data collection to measure various outcomes, including suicidal intent and aversion.

Researchers are evaluating whether teaching people personalized versus standardized emotion regulation skills can better reduce daily negative emotions. The study also aims to see if matching participants to their predicted best skill training is feasible and helpful. This research may reveal how emotion regulation treatments impact emotional health and help develop personalized, evidence-based, and scalable interventions. Participants will be randomly assigned to learn one of three emotion regulation skillscognitive restructuring, opposite to emotion action, or mindfulnessthat matches their personal strengths, or to learn all three skills through interactive videos with surveys to practice and check understanding. These training conditions are designed to compare focused versus broad skill coverage. During the study, participants will report their emotions multiple times daily for 42 days, using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Short Form. They will also complete assessments every two weeks for six weeks, measuring depression, anxiety, personality traits, responses to emotions, and breath-counting tasks. Researchers will monitor changes in emotion regulation effectiveness and emotional experiences to understand the impact of the training.