Chanen AM, Betts JK, Jackson H, et al. - Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of 3 early interventions of differing complexity for young people with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

• In this single-blinded randomized clinical trial, 139 youth with BPD were randomized.

• The included interventions were

  • (1) The Helping Young People Early (HYPE) dedicated BPD service model for young people, combined with weekly cognitive analytic therapy (CAT);

  • (2) HYPE combined with a weekly befriending psychotherapy control condition; and

  • (3) a general youth mental health service (YMHS) model, combined with befriending.

• Researchers randomized the participants both to 1 treatment arm (in a 1:1:1 ratio) and to a clinician.

• Outcomes suggest that youth-oriented clinical case management and psychiatric care, but not the availability of specialist psychotherapy, are important for effective early intervention.

• Greater treatment attendance and completion was recorded in correlation with implementation of a dedicated early intervention BPD service model (HYPE), with or without individual psychotherapy, making it more likely to meet service user, family, and community expectations of care.