Studying Internal Family Systems Therapy to Improve Mental Health in Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder over 12 to 15 Months

What this Trial Is About

Borderline Personality Disorder BPD is a serious mental health condition marked by emotional instability, unstable relationships, impulsive behaviors, and a poor sense of self. It often leads to difficulties like addiction and self-harm, resulting in heavy use of healthcare services. Current treatments like dialectical behavior therapy help some people but dont address all aspects of BPD. This study is exploring internal family systems IFS therapy, which views the mind as made up of different parts with their own feelings and thoughts, helping individuals connect with a calmer core Self. This is the first study to evaluate IFS therapy specifically for BPD. Participants will receive up to 50 individual weekly sessions of IFS therapy over 12 to 15 months. The therapy is delivered by two licensed mental health professionals trained in the IFS model in a private mental health care setting. Participants will pay a significantly reduced fee for these sessions. This study uses a single-group design with repeated assessments at baseline, 4 months, 8 months, and at the end of treatment to track changes. During the study, participants will complete mental health assessments electronically at four time points to measure BPD symptoms and related factors such as emotion regulation, shame, self-compassion, interpersonal functioning, depression, anxiety, addictive behaviors, and overall well-being. Researchers will also monitor attendance, retention, and acceptability through questionnaires. The trial is planned from early 2026 through 2028, including recruitment, therapy, data analysis, and result sharing.

Internal Family Systems Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder