Physical activity to help manage borderline or avoidant personality disorder
Physical Activity in the Management of Personality Disorders: Protocol for a Three-Arm Randomized Feasibility Trial (The PANDA Trial)
This project will test whether an 8-week pedometer-based walking program or supervised karate can be safe, acceptable, and helpful for adults with borderline or avoidant personality disorder who are receiving outpatient treatment.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Mental Health Centre Copenhagen, Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Gentofte Municipality, Capital Region and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07341438 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized, three-arm feasibility trial will enroll about 60 adults receiving outpatient care at two psychotherapeutic clinics in the Capital Region of Denmark and assign them to usual treatment, usual treatment plus an 8-week pedometer-based walking program, or usual treatment plus 8 weeks of supervised karate. The primary focus is on feasibility, acceptability, and safety, measured by screening, recruitment, retention, attendance, and adverse events. The trial will also measure changes in objective outcomes (body composition and fitness) and patient-reported outcomes such as emotion regulation, personality disorder symptoms, interpersonal functioning, recovery, physical activity behavior, and body awareness. Participant experiences will be explored qualitatively to understand acceptability and perceived impact and to inform the design of a larger definitive trial.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults (18+) with a documented diagnosis of borderline personality disorder or avoidant personality disorder who are receiving treatment at one of the two participating outpatient psychotherapeutic clinics in the Capital Region of Denmark and who are proficient in Danish.
Not a fit: People not treated at the participating clinics, those with a documented diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (an exclusion), or individuals unable or unwilling to engage in regular physical activity may not benefit from or be eligible for these programs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these low-cost physical activity programs could offer safe, accessible ways to improve emotion regulation, interpersonal functioning, and physical health for people with borderline or avoidant personality disorder.
How similar studies have performed: Exercise interventions have shown benefits for mood and emotion regulation in other mental health conditions, but randomized evidence specifically in personality disorders—and using karate or pedometer walking—remains limited, so this is a relatively novel application.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * adults (≥18 years) * documented diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD; F60.3, ICD-10) or avoidant personality disorder (AVPD; F60.6, ICD-10), as confirmed in the patient's medical record. * at the time of recruitment, participants must be receiving treatment at one of two specialized psychotherapeutic outpatient clinics (Clinic A or Clinic B) in the Capital Region of Denmark * proficient in Danish. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals with a documented diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (F60.2)
Where this trial is running
Gentofte Municipality, Capital Region and 1 other locations
- Mental Health Center Stolpegård, Copenhagen University Hospital -Mental Health Services CPH, Copenhagen Denmark — Gentofte Municipality, Capital Region, Denmark (Recruiting)
- Mental Health Centre Glostrup, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Denmark — Glostrup Municipality, Capital Region, Denmark (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Julie Midtgaard, Professor — Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre
- Study coordinator: Justina Petersen, PhD student
- Email: justina.petersen@regionh.dk
- Phone: +45 24278751
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.