Improved Sleep and Clinical Outcomes Following a Single-Session Intervention among Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder Features
- 1University of Utah
Abstract
Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that often emerges in adolescence. Although efficacious treatments have been developed, they are often lengthy, expensive, inaccessible, and require specialized training to deliver. Optimizing BPD prevention and early treatment is an important public health priority. Disrupted sleep is closely linked to key BPD features, and prior research has documented a range of sleep problems among BPD samples that appear to worsen symptom course and duration. This intervention trial (NCT04507308) assessed the effects of a single-session sleep-focused treatment on adolescent sleep and BPD-related symptoms. Fifty-seven adolescents (ages 13-18) with 3+ clinically impairing BPD features and at least some self-reported sleep-related difficulties participated with a caregiver. Participants completed baseline surveys, interviews, and 10-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol to examine BPD symptoms and sleep in daily life. Youth also collected at-home ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings before undergoing the treatment informed by the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention. Post-treatment, youth practiced their new sleep routine for approximately one month before undergoing reassessment (EMA, EEG, surveys). Many indices of sleep quantity and quality improved across both objective (EEG) and subjective assessments (EMA and self- and caregiver-report). Youth reported an earlier bedtime and waketime, more sleep, and fewer awakenings in daily life. Every sleep-related questionnaire score improved at post-intervention and was maintained at one-month follow-up. Multiple indices of BPD symptoms also improved significantly. Findings suggest sleep may be a promising intervention target for at-risk youth.
Related
- Interoception and borderline personality disorder in female adolescents with restrictive eating disorders
- Exploring the Feasibility of a Generic Early Intervention Programme for Emerging Personality Disorder in Adolescents: Guideline-Informed Treatment for Personality Disorders-Adolescent Version (GITPD-A).
- Canine-Assisted Interventions and Symptoms Associated with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Scoping Review
- Piloting New Medications for Borderline Personality Disorder: The Use of Artificial Intelligence in Psychopharmacological Research
- Attachment, Emerging Borderline Personality Features and Mentalizing Capacity: A Comparative Analysis in Maltreated and Community Children
BibTeX
@misc{kaufman2026improved,
title = {{Improved Sleep and Clinical Outcomes Following a Single-Session Intervention among Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder Features}},
author = {E. A. Kaufman and S. E. Victor and J. H. Prunuske and J. L. Nguyen and G. L. Laforge},
howpublished = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.22.26363695},
url = {https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.26363695v1},
note = {CC BY-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Improved Sleep and Clinical Outcomes Following a Single-Session Intervention among Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder Features
AU - E. A. Kaufman
AU - S. E. Victor
AU - J. H. Prunuske
AU - J. L. Nguyen
AU - G. L. Laforge
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
PB - medRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.22.26363695
UR - https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.22.26363695v1
AB - Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness that often emerges in adolescence. Although efficacious treatments have been developed, they are often lengthy, expensive, inaccessible, and require specialized training to deliver. Optimizing BPD prevention and early treatment is an important public health priority. Disrupted sleep is closely linked to key BPD features, and prior research has documented a range of sleep problems among BPD samples that appear to worsen symptom course and duration. This intervention trial (NCT04507308) assessed the effects of a single-session sleep-focused treatment on adolescent sleep and BPD-related symptoms. Fifty-seven adolescents (ages 13-18) with 3+ clinically impairing BPD features and at least some self-reported sleep-related difficulties participated with a caregiver. Participants completed baseline surveys, interviews, and 10-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol to examine BPD symptoms and sleep in daily life. Youth also collected at-home ambulatory electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings before undergoing the treatment informed by the Transdiagnostic Sleep and Circadian Intervention. Post-treatment, youth practiced their new sleep routine for approximately one month before undergoing reassessment (EMA, EEG, surveys). Many indices of sleep quantity and quality improved across both objective (EEG) and subjective assessments (EMA and self- and caregiver-report). Youth reported an earlier bedtime and waketime, more sleep, and fewer awakenings in daily life. Every sleep-related questionnaire score improved at post-intervention and was maintained at one-month follow-up. Multiple indices of BPD symptoms also improved significantly. Findings suggest sleep may be a promising intervention target for at-risk youth.
ER -