Non-randomised feasibility study of training workshops for Talking Therapies service high-intensity therapists to optimise depression and anxiety outcomes for individuals with co-morbid personality difficulties: a study protocol

BACKGROUND: The NHS Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression programme (‘TTad’; formerly Improving Access to Psychological Therapies ‘IAPT’) delivers high-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to over 200,000 individuals each year for common mental health problems like depression and anxiety. More than half of these individuals experience comorbid personality difficulties, who show poorer treatment outcomes. TTad therapists report feeling unskilled to work with clients with personality difficulties, and enhancing the training of TTad therapists may lead to improved treatment outcomes for individuals presenting with secondary personality difficulties alongside depression and anxiety. METHODS: This is a pre-post non-randomised mixed-method feasibility study, exploring the feasibility and acceptability of a 1-day training workshop for high-intensity (HI) CBT therapists. The workshop is focused on understanding and assessing personality difficulties and adapting HICBT treatments for anxiety and depression to accommodate client needs. The feasibility and acceptability of the workshop and the evaluation procedures will be investigated. It will be examined to what extent the workshop provision leads to improvements in therapist skills and confidence and explored to what extent the training has the potential to enhance clinical outcomes for this client group. DISCUSSION: This feasibility study will provide data on the acceptability and feasibility of delivering brief therapist training to adapt usual HICBT to optimise care for individuals with secondary personality difficulties seeking treatment in TTad services for a primary problem of depression and/or anxiety. The study will also evaluate proof of concept that such an approach has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for those with secondary personality difficulties and report any possible harms identified. The study will inform the design of a future randomised controlled trial designed to test the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the training. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN81104604. Submitted on 6th June 2022. Registration date: 3rd January 2023. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-023-01394-z.