Is Mentalization-based Therapy More Effective Than Treatment-as-usual for Adolescents With Dissocial Disorders?

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate if Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) is superior to enhanced usual care (treatment-as-usual-plus (TAU-plus)) for adolescents with disruptive behavior or dissocial disorders. MBT is an intervention that aims to improve mentalizing. Mentalizing is the ability to reflect on mental states in oneself and others that motivate behavior. TAU-plus consists of psychiatric care for the adolescent, along with additional emotion-focused skills training for the parents. Participants will be randomized in one of two groups using one study center.

NCT Number	NCT07181928
Lead Sponsor	University Hospital Heidelberg Collaborators: Vereinigung für analytische und tiefenpsychologisch fundierte Kinder- & Jugendlichen- Psychotherapie
Conditions	Conduct Disorders in Adolescence, Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Enrollment	90 participants
Start Date	2025-10-01
Primary Completion	2028-08-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-08-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-09-18