Table 2 Summary of key features of Psychological Support for Personality (PSP) compared to other psychological interventions tested in clinical trials
Feature of the intervention | Psychological Support for Personality | Web-based psychoeducation [20] | Manual assisted cognitive therapy [19] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Target group | Adults with personality disorder | Women with borderline personality disorder | Adults with borderline personality disorder who self-harm | Adults with borderline personality disorder | Adults with borderline personality disorder |
Mode(s) of delivery | Individual sessions plus telephone support | Access to web-based psychoeducation | Individual sessions plus booklet | Group and individual sessions plus telephone support | Group and individual sessions plus telephone support |
Content of sessions | Information on personality, personality disorder, validation and acceptance. Tailored psychological support aimed at promoting metalizing and distress tolerance | Information about borderline personality, disorder and role of psychological and pharmacological treatments | Strategies for emotional regulation, problem-solving, management of negative thinking and substance misuse | Methods for promoting mentalizing and improving a person’s mental health and interpersonal functioning | Behavioural skills coaching in areas including mindfulness, emotion regulation and distress tolerance |
Delivered by | Clinical staff who are experienced in working with people with personality disorder and receive regular supervision | Content of website developed by clinicians with expertise in borderline personality disorder | Clinical staff who have received a three-day and receive regular supervision | Clinical staff who have received a minimum of three days training and receive regular supervision | Mental health professionals who have been trained to deliver DBT and receive regular supervision |
Frequency of sessions | Flexible (usually once a week or one a fortnight) | Service users able to access website whenever they choose | Weekly sessions | Weekly individual sessions and weekly groups | Weekly individual sessions and weekly groups. Telephone consultations as required. |
Length of sessions | 45 to 60 minutes | Determined by the service user | 30 to 60 minutes | Groups last 75 to 90 minutes | 60 minute individual sessions 150 minute groups |
Length of treatment | Flexible (three to six months) | Determined by the service user | Six weeks | 18 months | 12 to 18 months |
Total number of sessions | Six to ten sessions | Determined by the service user | Six sessions | 100 to 150 sessions* | 100 sessions* |