Recruiting

TFP-A

Sponsor:

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Code:

NCT00571571

Conditions

Identity Pathology

Behavior Problems

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 14 - 21

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

Psychotherapy

Individual Psychotherapy

Study Details

Brief summary:

Normal adolescence requires a successful resolution of identity crisis, which results in the development of satisfying relationships, success in school/work pursuits, and achievement of personal goals. Adolescents, who do not resolve this crisis, are at high risk for problems in those areas of functioning. Transference Focused Psychotherapy for Adolescents (TFP-A) is a treatment that specifically addresses these issues, permitting adolescents to develop satisfying friendships, more appropriate interactions with authority, and achieve realistic life goals.

This study will evaluate the application of TFP-A, (a empirically validated treatment for adults with identity disturbance), to adolescents exhibiting the same behavioral and identity pathology. Subjects will be females; ages 14-21, with behaviors associated with identity problems, interpersonal difficulties with teachers, parents and/or peers, and live with their families. These adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of two treatment cells, TFP-A or Treatment as Usual (TAU). Subjects in TFP-A will receive weekly individual therapy for six months. The TAU group will receive standard individual therapy in the Outpatient Department. Both will receive medication as necessary. All subjects will participate in initial, weekly, and bi-monthly assessments during the six-month treatment period, and participate in a naturalistic follow-up study for an additional six months.

Hypothesis:

Adolescents with identity problems as seen in interpersonal, school, and/or family difficulties in the Transference Focused Psychotherapy for Adolescents (TFP-A) group will reduce these problem behaviors and improve management of their feelings and moods compared to adolescents with identity problems in the treatment as usual control group (TAU).

Conditions

Identity Pathology

Behavior Problems

Study ID

NCT00571571

Start date

Oct, 2007

Status verified date

Jan, 2011

Completion date

Dec, 2009

Anticipated

Primary completion date

Dec, 2009

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: Female

Age: 14 - 21

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Female Adolescents, ages 14-21
2. A score of five out of nine critical items on the Borderline Personality Disorder Dimension Interview Scale.
3. Have interpersonal difficulties in school, family, and/or peer functioning.
4. Live at home with family.
5. Willingness to attend evaluation sessions and weekly, individual therapy.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. The presence of psychosis, substance dependence, non-verbal learning disability, antisocial behavior, and/or primary diagnoses of eating disorder, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
2. The need for hospitalization for symptom management.
3. Significant cognitive impairment (Full Scale IQ <85).
4. The presence of a life-threatening medical illness.

Study Design

Enrollment

20 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: TFP-A

Specific aspects of TFP-A involve the setting up of a treatment contract/collaboration between patient and therapist to deal with the likely threats both to the treatment and to the patient's well being that may occur in the course of the treatment. After the behavioral symptoms of identity pathology are contained through structure and limit setting, the psychological structure that is believed to be the core of identity pathology are analyzed. In particular, treatment would involve the family in setting up the contract parameters, provide a psychoeducational component to the family and patient, inclusion of school personnel as appropriate to reinforce contract parameters, place an emphasis on the technique of clarification to understand specific emotional states.

active comparator: Control

The Control Group is treatment as usual in the outpatient clinic. Treatment in this arm will be carried out by therapists in the Outpatient Department. Treatment will be determined by the therapist(s) and carried out according to their particular orientation and their assessment of patient's needs. It is expected based on clinic data that the majority of patients will be seen at least one time per week.

Interventions

Psychotherapy

Individual psychotherapy with parent collateral/psychoeducation as necessary.

Individual Psychotherapy

Individual psychotherapy and family interventions (as needed)

Primary outcome measure

  • Reduction in interpersonal difficulties with parents, teachers, and/or peers. Improved management of their feelings and moods. Reduction in other problems behaviors (i.e. substance use, self-injurious behaviors) [ Time Frame: Subjects will be assessed at entry, 2 month, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months 10 months, and 12 months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Anna E Odom, Ph.D.

914-997-5946ano9021@med.cornell.edu

Pamela A Foelsch, Ph.D.

212-213-9879

Locations

New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Recruiting

White Plains, New York, United States, 10605

Contacts

Maura L Lehr, LCSW

914-997-5866mll9001@nyp.org

Principal Investigator:

Anna E Odom, Ph.D.

More Information

Sponsor

Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Last update posted

Jan 4, 2011

Last verified

Jan, 2011

Keywords

  • Identity difussion
  • Adolescent psychotherapy
  • Transference Focused Psychotherapy for Adolescents
  • Identity
  • Identity crisis
  • Identity pathology

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-10. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Weill Medical College of Cornell University on 2011-01-04.