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. 2020 Sep 3;2020(9):CD007668. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD007668.pub3

Linehan 2006.

Methods Design: parallel randomised controlled trial
Participants Participants: women with recent suicidal and self‐injurious behaviours meeting criteria for BPDa
Sex: all female
Age: mean = 29.3 years (SD = 7.5)
Unit of allocation: individual participant
Number randomised: for whole sample n = 101 (n = 52 intervention group; n = 49 control group); data not extractable for any AsPD subgroupa
Number completing: data not extractable for any AsPD subgroupa
Setting: outpatient; single site; urban; USA (Washington)
Inclusion criteria: aged 18 to 45 years; meeting criteria for BPD (DSM‐IV, IPDE); current or past suicidal behaviour (2 suicide attempts or self‐injuries in past 5 years, with at least 1 in past 8 weeks)
Exclusion criteria: lifetime diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, psychotic disorder not otherwise specified, mental retardation; seizure disorder requiring medication; a mandate to treatment; needing primary treatment for another debilitating condition
Ethnicity: (for whole samplea) white (87%), African American (4%), Asian American (2%), native American (1%), other (5%)
Baseline characteristics: (for whole samplea) single, divorced or separated (87.2%); median number suicide attempts in past 5 years 1.0 (IQR 0.5 to 4.0); median number self‐injuries in past 5 years 10.0 (interquartile range = 2.0 to 47.0); college graduate (23.8%); current major depressive disorder (72.3%); current anxiety disorder (78.2%); current substance use disorder (29.7%); current eating disorder (23.8%); current panic disorder (40.6%); comorbid cluster A personality disorder (3.0%); comorbid cluster B personality disorder other than BPD (10.9%), cluster C PD (25.7%)
Interventions Two conditions: dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT); or community treatment by experts (CTBE)
  • Experimental group (number randomised unknown for AsPD subgroupa): DBT

  • Control group (number randomised unknown for AsPD subgroupa): CTBE


Details of conditions:
  • DBT is standard manualised dialectical behaviour therapy.

  • CTBE was developed to maximise internal validity by controlling for sex of therapist, availability, expertise, allegiance, training and experience, consultation availability and institutional prestige.


Duration of intervention: 12 months
Duration of trial: 12 months
Length of follow‐up: Participants were followed up for 12 months after end of treatment.
Outcomes Primary outcomes
  • None


Secondary outcomes
  • Leaving the study early: proportion of participants discontinuing treatment


Other outcomes
  • Number and severity of self‐harm incidents; level of suicidal ideation, reasons for living, depression

Notes aStudy may have recruited a subgroup with AsPD since 11 of 101 participants (10.9%) had a cluster B personality disorder other than BPD. No data extractable on any AsPD subgroup. Awaiting clarification from investigators (Linehan 2006)