Completed Psychology & Behaviour Mental Health

Psychoeducation with problem solving (PEPS) therapy for adults with personality disorder: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a manualised intervention to improve social functioning

Funder NIHR (part of DHSC)
Recipient organisation Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust Source-published name: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
Funding £1.5M
Period Feb 2010 — Jul 2014

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A therapist-led programme that teaches people with personality disorder practical strategies for solving everyday problems is being tested against standard NHS care in a large clinical trial. Personality disorder affects around 4 in every 100 people in the UK, yet there is little reliable evidence on which treatments actually work. The PEPS trial directly addresses this gap by comparing a manualised therapy—combining group psychoeducation with individual problem-solving sessions—against usual community mental health treatment. The primary measure is social functioning one year after treatment ends, assessed using a standard questionnaire. If PEPS therapy proves more effective and cost-effective than current care, it could give NHS clinicians a proven, structured option for a patient group that often struggles with unstable relationships, employment, and daily living. Better social functioning would mean fewer crisis visits, reduced hospital admissions, and improved quality of life for thousands of people. The trial also tracks NHS service use, anxiety, depression, and patients’ own ratings of their problems, ensuring the findings reflect real-world outcomes.

View original technical description
Personality disorder is a type of mental health problem that happens when a person has a pattern of belief and behaviour which causes them distress and difficulties. Personality disorder is very common, affecting around 4 in every 100 people in the UK. There is not a lot of information about what treatments are helpful for people with personality disorder. The purpose of the PEPS trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment for people with personality disorder called psycho-education with problem solving (PEPS) therapy. PEPS therapy is a complex cognitive-behavioural intervention that integrates individual and group therapies. PEPS therapy aims to inform participants about their personality disorder diagnosis, discuss its effects and teach strategies for solving interpersonal problems. The PEPS trial is a two-arm, parallel group randomised controlled trial which will compare the effectiveness of PEPS therapy with the treatment that people with personality disorder would usually receive from community mental health teams. Participants will be recruited from NHS Trusts providing mental health care within the UK. The primary outcome is social functioning at one year post-treatment follow-up, assessed by the Social Functioning Questionnaire. In addition the trial will look at NHS service use, quality of life, anxiety and depression, referrers' assessment of functioning and the client's assessment of problems.

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