HYPE ZÜRI - Helping Young People Early

In order to improve outpatient care for adolescents at risk of borderline personality disorder, the „HYPE ZÜRI“ (Helping Young People Early) specialist unit, a specific early intervention program for this patient group, was set up at the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy in 2019.

Since then, 97 adolescents with a diagnosed borderline disorder or at risk of developing one have been treated at HYPE ZÜRI and their parents have always been included in the treatment.

From the very beginning, our aim was to test the effectiveness of HYPE ZÜRI treatment with a clinical evaluation.

To assess the diagnosis(es), we use a series of clinical questionnaires, a psychopathological screening procedure and a clinical interview at the beginning of treatment, which are completed by the adolescents, their parents and the responsible therapists. The success of the treatment is measured by completing the same questionnaires again at the end of the therapy (adolescents, parents) and assessing the change in symptoms by the therapists.

Aim of our evaluation research:

1. To measure the change in the severity of the disorder using a symptom-oriented questionnaire IES-27 J & E) completed by patients and their parents at the beginning and end of therapy.
2. Improvement in the level of personality functioning based on a questionnaire (Lopf 12-18) completed by the patients at the beginning and end of treatment.
3. Assessment of the improvement in the severity of the symptoms by the therapists using the CGI, as well as assessment of the improvement in the level of psychosocial functioning using the SOFAS by the therapists.
4. The aim of the evaluation research is on the one hand to test the effectiveness of the therapy in HYPE ZÜRI and on the other hand to record clinical and psychosocial predictors that can have a positive or negative influence on the treatment.