Group-Schematherapy for Adolescents: Results from a Naturalistic Multiple Case Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Adolescent Mental Health

Background:

• Personality disorders significantly impact adolescents' lives, causing chronic dysfunction.
• Existing treatments for adolescent personality disorders require further investigation for efficacy and applicability.
• Group schema therapy (GST) is an established treatment for adults, but its use in adolescents is less explored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the applicability and effectiveness of group schema therapy (GST) for adolescents diagnosed with personality disorders or traits.
• To assess changes in quality of life, psychopathology, schema modes, and coping styles following GST in adolescents.
• To examine the temporal progression of schema modes throughout the GST intervention.

Main Methods:

• A naturalistic case study design was employed.
• Four clinically referred adolescents with personality disorders or traits participated.
• Patients underwent weekly GST sessions, supplemented by individual therapy, with parents attending a separate group.

Main Results:

• Improvements in quality of life and psychopathology symptoms were observed in some patients post-treatment.
• All patients showed changes in schema modes and schemas from pre- to post-therapy.
• Maladaptive modes decreased, and healthy modes increased across all participants during therapy.

Conclusions:

• Group schema therapy (GST) demonstrates preliminary applicability and effectiveness for adolescents with personality disorders.
• The findings support GST as a viable therapeutic option for this population.
• Further research is warranted to validate these initial findings and explore GST's long-term impact.