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Cognitive Conflict in Borderline Personality Disorder

NCT04498104 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 156

Last updated 2022-05-18

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe psychological condition characterized by emotional, interpersonal and self-image instability in addition to impulsive behaviour. Although there have been several explanatory models and psychotherapy approaches that have been designed to comprehend and intervene on BPD, most seem not to recognize idiosyncratic cognitive conflict as an important feature on this disorder. Adding personal dilemmas, such as those conceptualized in personal construct theory, as a key element to BPD's explanatory model could provide a better picture to understand this disorder and possibly to enhance effectiveness of current psychotherapy approaches. Despite the fact that constructivist explanatory models have been used and tested in several clinical populations, there is little work done studying the relevance of inner conflicts in BPD. According to the prototypical symptomatology manifested by these patients, psychological instability can be assumed as a transversal feature present in this disorder; therefore, a larger amount of cognitive conflict can be expected in BPD patients.

Method and Analysis: In order to test this assumption, this study aims to examine the characteristics of the interpersonal cognitive system of patients diagnosed with BPD and note their potential differences with the general population using the repertory grid technique, a complex assessment tool derived from personal construct theory. Statistical analyses will be performed to examine whether the clinical sample tends to present with more cases and with higher number of cognitive conflicts than the control group. Likewise, the association between cognitive conflict and symptom severity will be explored. Results will be a first step to determine if cognitive conflicts have an important role in the explanation of BPD. This will also help to value the convenience to further investigate the efficacy of conflict resolution psychotherapy interventions with these patients. This research work is undertaken in the context of a funded predoctoral research program.

Conditions

  • Borderline Personality Disorder

Interventions

OTHER

Psychological assessment

Psychological assessment with the repertory grid technique (RGT) in order to quantify cognitive conflicts.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • University of Barcelona

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Guillem Feixas, Professor · University of Barcelona

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
60 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-04-02
Primary Completion
2021-03-01
Completion
2022-03-01

Countries

  • Spain

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04498104 on ClinicalTrials.gov