A pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) study protocol for assessing physical activity in individuals diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (PABORD)

Most treatments for severe mental disorders involve either pharmacotherapy or psychological interventions, which show mild to moderate effectiveness and may not lead to complete remission. Physical activity (PA), effective in enhancing physical health among the general population, emerges as a potential adjunctive treatment option that can address the existing gaps. Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe condition associated with profound psychosocial impairment, a heightened risk of suicide, and considerable burden on informal caregivers and mental health service providers. While there is a lack of approved medications for individuals with BPD, psychosocial interventions demonstrated good efficacy. However, the implementation of these treatments is limited by the demanded extensive training for staff. No studies have investigated the effectiveness of structured PA as an adjunctive treatment for individuals with BPD.