Short-term group schema therapy for mixed personality disorders: a pilot study.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research

Background:

• Schema Therapy (ST) is effective for personality disorders.
• Evidence for group ST (ST-g) in mixed personality disorders is limited.
• High comorbidity is common in personality disorder presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the feasibility and acceptability of ST-g for mixed personality disorders.
• To assess the preliminary effectiveness of ST-g on symptom severity and diagnostic status.
• To evaluate changes in psychological modes and patient-reported outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A 20-session group ST (ST-g) intervention was implemented.
• Participants (N=8) had mixed personality disorders, predominantly avoidant personality disorder.
• Outcome measures included symptom severity, diagnostic criteria, Schema Mode Inventory (SMI), and qualitative feedback.

Main Results:

• Large effect sizes were observed for symptom severity (avoidant personality disorder, depression, anxiety) from pre-therapy to follow-up.
• Four participants lost their personality disorder diagnosis by end of therapy; five by follow-up.
• Significant improvements were noted in Global Symptom Index (GSI) and maladaptive schema modes; adaptive modes showed moderate improvement.

Conclusions:

• Short-term ST-g appears feasible and acceptable for mixed personality disorders.
• Preliminary effectiveness suggests significant symptom reduction and diagnostic improvement.
• Further research with larger samples and control groups is warranted to confirm generalizability.