[Wellbeing and personality pathology in inpatient schematherapy]

In treatment of personality disorders, wellbeing is complementary to a focus on reducing symptoms. It is known that symptoms are being reduced and relate to the development of characteristics of personality pathology (schemamodes).

To answer the questions: how does wellbeing develop and how is this development related to the development of schemamodes?

A naturalistic, prospective, within subjects design was used in the Boerhaven Clinic of Mediant. Respondents received inpatient schema therapy with a focus on symptom reduction as well as increasing functional schema modes and wellbeing. A mixed model analysis was used to assess changes in wellbeing and schema modes at 0, 6, 12 and 18 months.

Wellbeing increased significantly during treatment, but declined somewhat at follow-up. A connection was found between increases in wellbeing and increases in functional schema modes and decreases in coping modes.

Symptoms and wellbeing develop in a different way during and after inpatient schema therapy and they have different relationships with schema modes. A positive psychological approach is recommended besides treatment of symptoms.