Evaluating "mentalizing positive affect" as an intervention for enhancing positive affectivity in borderline...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Mental Health Treatment

Background:

• Evidence-based treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD), including mentalization-based treatment (MBT), have not adequately examined changes in positive affect (PA).
• A novel intervention, "mentalizing positive affect," was developed to address this gap.
• The intervention aimed to evaluate its effect on PA, negative affect, BPD severity, ego-resiliency, and quality of life during MBT for BPD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of a "mentalizing positive affect" intervention on positive affect and other outcomes in patients undergoing MBT for BPD.
• To determine if focusing on positive affect during MBT is feasible and impacts the therapeutic alliance.
• To explore potential delayed treatment effects on positive affect.

Main Methods:

• A single-case multiple-baseline design was employed with 4 female BPD patients.
• Patients received 6 months of individual MBT, followed by a 2-month follow-up period.
• Intensive repeated measurements data were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling.

Main Results:

• The "mentalizing positive affect" intervention did not yield a co-occurring increase in reported PA.
• A delayed increase in PA was observed after treatment completion, suggesting a potential delayed effect.
• The intervention was related to a marginally significant decrease in BPD severity compared to standard MBT.
• Focusing on PA appeared feasible for maintaining a strong working alliance.

Conclusions:

• Further research is needed to test interventions enhancing PA in BPD treatment.
• Future studies should consider longer treatment durations, higher intensity, and extended follow-up periods.
• The "mentalizing positive affect" intervention shows promise for reducing BPD severity and supporting the therapeutic alliance.