title: A schema-focused approach to group psychotherapy for outpatients with borderline personality disorder: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: This study tests the effectiveness of adding an eight-month, thirty-session schema-focused therapy (SFT) group to treatment-as-usual (TAU) individual psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder (BPD). Patients (N=32) were randomly assigned to SFT-TAU and TAU alone. Dropout was 0% SFT, 25% TAU. Significant reductions in BPD symptoms and global severity of psychiatric symptoms, and improved global functioning with large treatment effect sizes were found in the SFT-TAU group. At the end of treatment, 94% of SFT-TAU compared to 16% of TAU no longer met BPD diagnosis criteria (p<.001). This study supports group SFT as an effective treatment for BPD that leads to recovery and improved overall functioning.
authors.affiliation: Indiana University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Borderline Personality Disorder Treatment & Research, Larue D. Carter Memorial Hospital, Indianapolis, IN 46222, USA. joan.farrell@fssa.in.gov
authors.forename: Joan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Ida A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Webber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult