Group therapy for people with borderline personality disorder: interventions associated with positive outcomes

Group psychotherapy is becoming a more prevalent treatment option for people with borderline personality disorder. Various types of group approaches have been discussed; however, data about specific interventions and their relationship to outcomes for subgroups of people with borderline personality disorder are lacking. The purpose of this study was to explicate the interventions used in a successful group therapy program developed for community mental health center clients with borderline personality disorder. Two independent raters used the Hill Counselor Verbal Response Category System-Revised to describe and categorize the therapists' verbal responses. Coding of eight videotaped sessions indicated that the therapists' level and type of verbal activity did not change over time. The most frequently utilized interventions across sessions were providing information and seeking information. These responses are indicative of a moderate and high degree of structure. The results suggest that clinicians must consider the unique needs of serious and persistently ill people with borderline personality disorder and plan group interventions accordingly.