MBT-I Group for Male Prisoners With BPD and/or ASPD
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Mentalization Based Treatment - Introductory (MBT-I) Group for Male Prisoners With Borderline (BPD) and/or Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD) in Her Majesty's Prison Barlinnie
IRAS ID
269231
Contact name
Stephen Davidson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
There is an established evidence base for use of MBT (Mentalization Based Treatment) for the treatment of BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) in psychiatric practice over the past decade. More recently there is evidence to suggest that patients with ASPD (Antisocial Personality Disorder) may also benefit from this therapy. Demographic studies have highlighted a high burden of PD (Personality Disorder) within UK prisons. There is no agreed universal approach to treatment of PD within Scottish prisons with large variance across the prison estate. Therefore treatment of PD in prison populations is currently a significant unmet need. MBT pilots in HMP Edinburgh and HMP Cornton Vale have demonstrated positive findings in female offenders which could be replicated in male populations.
This study aims to provide evidence for the feasibility of running MBT-I (Mentalization Based Treatment - Introductory) Group to male prisoners with a diagnosis of BPD and/or ASPD in Her Majesty's Prison Barlinnie. Secondary outcomes involve studying the effectiveness of this intervention on core symptomatology using rating scales and proxy behavioural outcomes of personality disorder pre- and post-intervention, in addition to comparing this against a treatment as usual control group.
This would involve running three cycles of the adapted for forensic populations MBT-I Group (twelve weekly sessions lasting one hour), for male prisoners within HMP Barlinnie over an 18 month period. Each group would have approximately ten participants recruited from the prison mental health team database at HMP Barlinnie.
The researchers are hopeful that results from the study may inform further development of national guidance via The Matrix (Forensic) framework, for delivery of psychological therapies in prison, and future service provision, with a view to reducing inequalities across the Scottish Prison Service for the treatment of PD.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
19/WS/0147
Date of REC Opinion
13 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion