Childhood trauma and dissociation in patients with panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and borderline personality disorder. Part 2: Therapeutic effectiveness of combined cognitive behavioural therapy and pharmacotherapy in treatment-resistant inpatients

Abstract

Introduction: PAdverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with an increased risk of mental health issues in general, but their relationship with panic disorder (PD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has received less attention compared to borderline personality disorder (BPD). Dissociative experiences are significant predictors of increased symptoms, reduced treatment adherence, and poor prognosis in several psychiatric conditions, including PD, OCD, and BPD; still, their impact remains underexplored. This part of the study focuses on the overall efficiency of psychotherapeutic programs on treatment-resistant patients diagnosed with PD, OCD, and BPD (or combined), as well as the relationship between ACEs, dissociation rates, and treatment results.

Method: The study was conducted under standard conditions in an inpatient psychotherapy unit that specialized in anxiety, affective disorders, and personality disorders. Patients were hospitalized for 6 weeks and treated with a comprehensive CBT program and pharmacotherapy. The study included patients diagnosed with PD, OCD, or BPD (or combined). Two independent psychiatrists confirmed the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients were assessed using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Clinical Global Impression Scale - Severity (CGI-S), Dissociative Experience Scale (DES), and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF).

Results: A total of 349 out of 357 patients completed the study. The average age of patients was 33.33 ± 11.59 years. After the 6 week treatment, there was a statistically significant decrease in mean scores across all assessed scales. Changes in any scale during treatment did not correlate with the total CTQ-SF score or sub-scores. The relative change in CGI-S showed a statistically significant negative correlation with the total dissociation score on the DES scale at the beginning of treatment but not with pathological dissociation assessed by the DES-T questionnaire. Statistically significant decreases in mean CGI-S scores were observed in patients with a single diagnosis of PD, OCD, and BPD. Among comorbid groups, significant changes were observed only in patients with comorbid OCD and BPD. No statistically significant change in mean BDI-II scores was observed in patients with comorbid PD and OCD or comorbid OCD and BPD.

Conclusions: Our analysis showed that treatment led to a significant decrease in the severity of depressive symptoms assessed by BDI-II and anxiety symptoms assessed by BAI in patients with PD, OCD, and BPD. This decrease was not statistically significant in patients with comorbid disorders, suggesting that the presence of multiple diagnoses may affect treatment efficacy. ACEs did not correlate to treatment results, but dissociation rates were linked with poorer treatment outcomes.