Differential effects of manual assisted cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of recurrent deliberate self-harm and personality disturbance: the POPMACT study

This is a critical abstract of an economic evaluation that meets the criteria for inclusion on NHS EED. Each abstract contains a brief summary of the methods, the results and conclusions followed by a detailed critical assessment on the reliability of the study and the conclusions drawn. Although manual-assisted cognitive-behavioural therapy (MACT) did not result in a significantly lower proportion of patients repeating self-harm in comparison with treatment as usual (TAU), it may be of some public health value. It was found to be cheaper than TAU, and it also led to fewer episodes of self-harm and was associated with fewer suicides. Preventing self-harm cost-effectively through MACT appears, however, to be limited to those that do not have borderline personality disorder.