Mediators and Theories of Change in Psychotherapy for Young People With Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review Protocol

Jana Volkert; Svenja Taubner; Rasa Barkauskiene; Jose M Mestre; Célia M D Sales; Vanessa Thiele; Andrea Saliba; Sonja Protić; Asta Adler; Sonia Conejo-Cerón; Dina Di Giacomo; Yianna Ioannou; Patricia Moreno-Peral; Filipa Mucha Vieira; Catarina Pinheiro Mota; Marija Raleva; Margarida Isabel Rangel Santos Henriques; Jan Ivar Røssberg; Stefanie J Schmidt; Tjasa Stepisnik Perdih; Randi Ulberg; Erkki Heinonen

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703095

Mediators and Theories of Change in Psychotherapy for Young People With Personality Disorders: A Systematic Review Protocol

Front Psychol. 2021 Sep 20:12:703095. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.703095. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Jana Volkert^{1

2}, Svenja Taubner², Rasa Barkauskiene³, Jose M Mestre⁴, Célia M D Sales^{5

6}, Vanessa Thiele⁷, Andrea Saliba⁸, Sonja Protić⁹, Asta Adler³, Sonia Conejo-Cerón¹⁰, Dina Di Giacomo¹¹, Yianna Ioannou¹², Patricia Moreno-Peral¹⁰, Filipa Mucha Vieira^{5

6}, Catarina Pinheiro Mota^{6

13}, Marija Raleva¹⁴, Margarida Isabel Rangel Santos Henriques^{5

6}, Jan Ivar Røssberg¹⁵, Stefanie J Schmidt¹⁶, Tjasa Stepisnik Perdih¹⁷, Randi Ulberg^{15

18}, Erkki Heinonen^{19

20}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, MSB Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
² Institute of Psychosocial Prevention, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
³ Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Cádiz, Cádiz, Spain.
⁵ Faculty of Psychology and Education Science, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
⁶ Center for Psychology, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
⁷ Institute of Psychology, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
⁸ Mental Health Services Malta, University of Malta, Msida, Malta.
⁹ Institute of Criminological and Sociological Research Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
¹⁰ Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Malaga, Málaga, Spain.
¹¹ Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
¹² Department of Social Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus.
¹³ Center for Psychology, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Vila Real, Portugal.
¹⁴ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Clinic Skopje, Skopje, North Macedonia.
¹⁵ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁶ Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
¹⁷ School of Advanced Social Studies, Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
¹⁸ Department of Psychiatry, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
¹⁹ National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.
²⁰ Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Abstract

Background: Personality disorders (PDs) are a severe health issue already prevalent among adolescents and young adults. Early detection and intervention offer the opportunity to reduce disease burden and chronicity of symptoms and to enhance long-term functional outcomes. While psychological treatments for PDs have been shown to be effective for young people, the mediators and specific change mechanisms of treatment are still unclear. Aim: As part of the "European Network of Individualized Psychotherapy Treatment of Young People with Mental Disorders" (TREATme), funded by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST), we will conduct a systematic review to summarize the existing knowledge on mediators of treatment outcome and theories of change in psychotherapy for young people with personality disorders. In particular, we will evaluate whether mediators appear to be common or specific to particular age groups, treatment models, or outcome domains (e.g., psychosocial functioning, life quality, and adverse treatment effects). Method: We will follow the reporting guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement recommendations. Electronic databases (PubMed and PsycINFO) have been systematically searched for prospective, longitudinal, and case-control designs of psychological treatment studies, which examine mediators published in English. Participants will be young people between 10 and 30years of age who suffer from subclinical personality symptoms or have a personality disorder diagnosis and receive an intervention that aims at preventing, ameliorating, and/or treating psychological problems. Results: The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and at conference presentations and will be shared with relevant stakeholder groups. The data set will be made available to other research groups following recommendations of the open science initiative. Databases with the systematic search will be made openly available following open science initiatives. The review has been registered in PROSPERO (evaluation is pending, registration number ID 248959). Implications: This review will deliver a comprehensive overview on the empirical basis to contribute to the further development of psychological treatments for young people with personality disorders.

Keywords: adolescence; mechanism; mediator; personality disorder; psychotherapy; systematic review; treatment; young adult.

Copyright © 2021 Volkert, Taubner, Barkauskiene, Mestre, Sales, Thiele, Saliba, Protić, Adler, Conejo-Cerón, Di Giacomo, Ioannou, Moreno-Peral, Vieira, Mota, Raleva, Rangel Santos Henriques, Røssberg, Schmidt, Perdih, Ulberg and Heinonen.