Exploring the role of trust-in-therapist in BPD/EUPD treatment
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the role of clients’ trust in their therapist in Borderline Personality Disorder/Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder treatment
IRAS ID
363878
Contact name
Jessica M Hughes-Nind
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford, Research Governance, Ethics and Assurance
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 30 days
Research summary
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), also known as Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), is a serious mental health problem characterised by an unstable view of oneself, difficulties regulating emotions and relationship challenges. A common feature of BPD/EUPD is difficulties trusting others, which often stems from traumatic experiences in early life. Traditional interventions for BPD/EUPD are intensive and costly, yet some research suggests that significant improvements in clinical symptoms can be achieved by shorter-term interventions. Individuals with a BPD/EUPD diagnosis are often seen as difficult to help and are more likely than people with common mental health difficulties to drop out of treatment early, meaning longer-term interventions are often not completed. Based on the central role of interpersonal difficulties in models and theories of BPD/EUPD, national guidelines for treating BPD/EUPD highlight the importance of a trusting relationship between the individual and therapist. However, research on the role of trust in an individual’s experience of BPD/EUPD treatment is limited. In this study, we will seek to answer:
1) Does clients’ trust in their therapist change during the first 10 weeks of treatment?
2) Does clients’ trust-in-therapist predict clinical outcomes?
3) What is the relationship between clients’ trust-in-therapist and the client-rated therapeutic alliance?
We will ask individuals receiving BPD/EUPD treatment at NHS sites in Oxfordshire and Berkshire to complete questionnaires at the beginning of treatment and at two further time points. We hope these findings will help us understand what is most important in effective treatment and highlight areas for focus when working with people with BPD/EUPD symptoms. By focusing on a short time period (ten weeks), we hope that this study will add to the growing literature on shorter-term interventions for BPD/EUPD symptoms, which may be increasingly required as demand for treatment grows. This study is funded by the University of Oxford.REC name
West Midlands - South Birmingham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/WM/0023
Date of REC Opinion
10 Feb 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion