Development and Initial Testing of a Couple-Based Intervention to Optimize Suicide and Self-Injury Treatment: COMPASS (Connecting, Overcoming, and Moving Past Suicide and Self-Injury) (COMPASS)

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs), including suicide, thinking about suicide, and self-injury without intent to die, are major public health crises, with variably effective, and sometimes long and expensive, interventions. SITBs are particularly common in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Moreover, people with BPD often cannot access SITB treatment, drop out of them, and may lose their improvements after them. Reducing SITBs in BPD requires innovative interventions that have greater impact and are faster to deliver. SITBs are particularly influenced by emotion dysregulation (i.e., intense, negative emotion and difficulties changing it) and intimate relationship dysfunction, but leading evidence-based SITB interventions typically focus on the former, while neglecting the latter. For other mental health problems, couple treatments result in comparable or better individual outcomes relative to individually-delivered treatments, with added benefits of enhanced intimate relationship functioning. SITB treatment outcomes in BPD could likely be expedited and optimized with a couple intervention that targets emotion dysregulation in a relational context and intimate relationship dysfunction. This project aims to develop, refine, and test a brief SITB intervention delivered conjointly to individuals with BPD and SITBs (i.e., "patients") and their intimate partners (i.e., "partners")- Sage (formerly known as COMPASS (Connecting, Overcoming, and Moving Past Suicide and Self- injury))- that targets both emotion dysregulation and intimate relationship dysfunction to reduce SITBs and BPD symptoms in the short- and long-term. Prior to formal testing in an uncontrolled trial, it is important to solicit preliminary data regarding the clarity, accessibility, safety, tolerability, and efficacy of Sage. This project involves 3 Phases: translating Sage outlines into a manual (Phase 1); refining Sage (Phase 2); and an uncontrolled pilot trial of Sage (Phase 3). In Phase 1, the three stages of Sage will be manualized to focus on (1) developing a conjoint safety plan to reduce SITB risk, (2) reducing emotion dysregulation and intimate relationship dysfunction, and (3) changing patterns that maintain SITBs. In Phase 2, Sage will be delivered to 5-10 patients with BPD and SITBs and their partners (i.e., 5-10 couples) who will provide feedback about whether Sage is clear, helpful, and useable. This feedback will be used to refine the Sage manual. In Phase 3, the investigators will test whether Sage is safe, initially efficacious, and feasible by administering it to 15-20 patients with BPD and SITB and their partners (i.e., 15-20 couples). The investigators will examine whether Sage results in changes in SITBs and BPD symptoms in patients with BPD and SITBs, and SITB risk factors (e.g., emotion dysregulation and intimate relationship dysfunction) in both patients and partners. These outcomes will be measured multiple times per day during treatment using participant's smartphones (i.e., ecological momentary assessment), and interviews/questionnaires administered at the beginning, middle, end, and at 3 months after the intervention. The investigators predict that Sage will reduce SITBs and BPD symptoms in the patient with BPD and SITBs and improve emotion dysregulation and intimate relationship dysfunction in both patients with BPD and SITBs and their partners. This study offers a novel SITB and BPD treatment that directly targets SITBs, BPD symptoms, and the factors that drive them. Its short duration broadens the accessibility of BPD and SITB interventions with the potential to contribute to reducing SITBs and BPD symptoms on a large scale. During this period of social distancing due to COVID-19, Sage will be delivered remotely via secure videoconferencing (Zoom Healthcare). As social distancing restrictions lift, Sage will be delivered in the laboratory.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Borderline Personality Disorder; Self-injurious Thoughts and Behaviours
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Sage (formerly known as COMPASS)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 42
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Ontario
    • Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M3J 1P3
      • York University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Patients have either engaged in 2+ suicidal or non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in the past two weeks (i.e., chronic and recent SITBs, consistent with previous research evaluating non-suicidal self-injury (Kranzler et al., 2018)), or have severe suicidal ideation as indicated by a score ≥15 on the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (Beck, 1991)
2. Patients also meet diagnostic criteria for BPD
3. Patients are between the ages of 18 and 70 years-old
4. Patients have a romantic partner who is between the ages of 18 and 70 years-old
5. Patient's romantic partner is willing to participate in the study with them

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Past-year severe intimate aggression in their relationship such that participants who endorse any severe physical and/or sexual assault behaviors in the past year will be excluded from the study (Monson et al., 2012; Abramowitz et al., 2013), as assessed by the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale, Severe Items Subscale (CTS-2; Straus, Hamby, Boney-McCoy, & Sugarman, 1996)
2. Either partner has a severe substance use disorder that would interfere with the capacity to attend and participate in this study
3. Either partner has clinically significant psychotic symptoms or bipolar I disorder (e.g., McMain et al., 2018; McMain et al., 2009)
4. Either partner has a major cognitive or intellectual impairment that would prevent the individual's ability to attend intervention and participate in the research study
5. Either partner has illiteracy in English language
6. Either partner is unable or unwilling to download and use a mobile application on their smart phone to complete daily Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) measures
7. If partners meet inclusion criterion #1, or #2, or meet the self-harm/suicidal behaviour diagnostic criterion for BPD.
8. If either partner of the couple is unwilling to have assessments and sessions audio or videorecorded
9. If either partner is currently not residing in Ontario

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Sage; Immediately receives 12 sessions of couple intervention aimed to improve self-injury thoughts and behaviours, emotion dysregulation, borderline personality disorder symptoms, and intimate relationship dysfunction.

Behavioral: Sage (formerly known as COMPASS); Sage is a remote 12 session intervention for couples wherein one individual has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and engages in self-injury thoughts and behaviours. The intervention consists of elements of Cognitive Behavioural Conjoint Therapy (CBCT) and has been adapted for this population. Couples will meet remotely with a clinician (registered psychologists and/or graduate level clinicians) for 8-12 sessions via Zoom Healthcare. The primary outcomes are self-injury thoughts and behaviours (as measured by the Suicide Attempt and Self-Injury Interview-modified, and the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation and ecological momentary assessment) and borderline personality disorder symptoms (as measured by the Borderline Symptom List-23).

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in the frequency and intensity of self-injury thoughts and behaviours from baseline will be examined through ecological momentary assessment.		It will be administered daily (three times per day) for five weeks throughout the intervention; from baseline to post intervention
Change in frequency of self-injury thoughts and behaviours from baseline, as measured by the Suicide Attempt Self-Injury Interview-modified.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Change in severity of suicidal ideation from baseline, as measured by the Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation.	The Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation has a minimum possible score of 0, and maximum possible score of 38, wherein higher scores reflect more severe suicidal ideation.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in Borderline Personality Symptom severity from baseline, as measured by the Borderline Symptom List-23.	The Borderline Symptom List-23 has a minimum possible score of 0, and maximum possible score of 92, wherein higher scores reflect more severe borderline personality disorder symptoms.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in Borderline Personality Symptom severity from baseline, as measured by the Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (self-report)	The Zanarini Rating Scale for Borderline Personality Disorder (self-report) has a minimum possible score of 0, and maximum possible score of 36, wherein higher scores reflect more severe borderline personality disorder symptoms.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in severity of depression from baseline, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9.	The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 has a minimum possible score of 0 and a maximum possible score of 27, wherein higher scores reflect higher severity of depression.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes is emotion dysregulation from baseline, as measured by The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).	The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation scale has a minimum possible score of 36, and maximum possible score of 180, wherein higher scores reflect greater emotion dysregulation.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in one's report of their partner's emotion dysregulation from baseline, as measured by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Partner Version (DERS-Partner).	The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale - Partner has a minimum possible score of 8, and maximum possible score of 40, wherein higher scores reflect more severe emotion dysregulation reported of one's partner.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in severity of conflict from baseline, as measured by the Ineffective Arguing Inventory.	The Ineffective Arguing Inventory has a minimum possible score of 8, and a maximum possible score of 40, wherein higher scores indicate decreased satisfaction with the style of arguing in a relationship.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in participants psychiatric and medical treatments (e.g., medication, day treatment programs) from baseline, measured by The Mental Health Utilization Interview-Modified.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately after the intervention.
Changes in relationship satisfaction from baseline, as measured by mean change from baseline on the Couples Satisfaction Index.	The Couples Satisfaction Index has a minimum possible score of 0, and a maximum possible score of 161, wherein higher scores reflect higher levels of relationship satisfaction.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in severity of Anxiety from baseline, as measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7.	The Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 has a minimum possible score of 0 and maximum possible score of 21, wherein higher scores reflect more severe levels of anxiety.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder severity from baseline, as measured by the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5).	The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) has a minimum possible score of 0 and a maximum possible score of 80, wherein higher scores reflect more severe posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology.	It will be administered only half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in one's report of their partner's Borderline Personality Symptoms severity from baseline, as measured by the Borderline Symptom List-23 - Partner Report.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in suicidal ideation severity from baseline, as measured by the Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised.	The Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised has a minimum possible score of 3, and a maximum possible score of 18, wherein higher scores indicate more severe suicidal ideation.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in one's report of their partner's suicidal ideation from baseline, as measured by the suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised - Partner Report.	The Suicide Behaviours Questionnaire-Revised - Partner Report has a minimum possible score of 3, and a maximum possible score of 18, wherein higher scores indicate more severe suicidal ideation reported of their partner.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in emotional reactivity from baseline, as measured by the Emotional Reactivity.	The Emotional Reactivity Scale has a minimum possible score of 0, and a maximum possible score of 84, wherein higher scores reflect greater emotional reactivity.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in affect from baseline, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Modified.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in addiction severity from baseline, as measured by the Addiction Severity Index.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in Work, Health, and Life Quality from baseline, as measured by 3 one-item self-report measurements that assess work functioning, perceived health status, and overall quality of life.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Changes in shame from baseline, as measured by the Experience of Shame Scale.	The Experience of Shame Scale has a minimum possible score of 25, and a maximum possible score of 100, wherein higher scores reflect higher levels of shame.	It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Frequency of Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations with change measured as mean change from baseline.		It will be administered only at baseline (pre-intervention), half-way through intervention, immediately after the intervention, and three months after the intervention (Phase 3 only).
Client satisfaction with the intervention as measured by the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire.	The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire has a minimum possible score of 8, and a maximum possible score of 32, wherein higher scores reflect greater satisfaction with the intervention.	It will be administered only immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: York University
• Collaborators: Toronto Metropolitan University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Dr. Skye Fitzpatrick, PhD, York University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Fitzpatrick S, Wagner AC, Monson CM. Optimizing borderline personality disorder treatment by incorporating significant others: A review and synthesis. Personal Disord. 2019 Jul;10(4):297-308. doi: 10.1037/per0000328. Epub 2019 Feb 4.
• Fitzpatrick S, Liebman RE, Monson CM. The borderline interpersonal-affective systems (BIAS) model: Extending understanding of the interpersonal context of borderline personality disorder. Clin Psychol Rev. 2021 Jan 24;84:101983. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.101983. Online ahead of print.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 18, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 10, 2023
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 17, 2020
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 1, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): February 3, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 7, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 6, 2023
• Last Verified: November 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Borderline Personality Disorder; Suicide; Emotion Dysregulation; Self-injury Thoughts and Behaviours; Non-suicidal Self-injury; Couple Intervention; Intimate Relationship Dysfunction
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Personality Disorders; Suicide; Borderline Personality Disorder; Self-Injurious Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: PRG-0-057-19

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No