Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42368806›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2026

Efficacy of psychological interventions for adolescents with borderline personality disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Manqi Cai, Xinxin Song, Jun Tong

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Manqi CaiFaculty of Health and Wellness, City University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.
Xinxin SongDepartment of Child and Adolescent Rehabilitation, Qingdao Mental Health Center, Qingdao, China.
Jun TongFaculty of Health and Wellness, City University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objective: This meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of psychological interventions for adolescents with borderline personality disorder (BPD) across multiple outcome domains, including BPD symptom severity, emotion regulation, depressive symptoms, general psychopathology, and quality of life. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines (PROSPERO: CRD420261306339), we searched PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, and Cochrane CENTRAL from inception through January 2026. RCTs of manualized psychological therapies for adolescents aged 12-18 years with BPD or significant BPD features were included. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted using Hedges' Results: Twelve RCTs comprising 844 adolescents (mean age = 15.8 years; 81% female) were included. Interventions included DBT-A, MBT-A, CAT, ERT, UP-A, and school-based programs. Psychological interventions produced small significant effects on BPD symptom severity ( Conclusion: Psychological interventions for adolescent BPD produced statistically reliable but small improvements in BPD symptoms and emotion regulation, with effect magnitudes that likely fall below clinically meaningful thresholds. No benefits were detected for depressive symptoms or quality of life. Current treatments should be viewed as beneficial but limited. Future research should prioritize adequately powered head-to-head trials, longer follow-up with maintenance interventions, and development of treatments with broader impact across outcome domains. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD420261306339.

Indexed as

adolescentsborderline personality disorderclinical significancedialectical behavior therapyemotion regulationmentalization-based treatmentmeta-analysispsychotherapy

Identifiers

PMID42368806
PMCPMC13294224

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.