Effectiveness of Day Treatment Group Schema Therapy for Personality Disorders: A Multiple Baseline Single-Case Study.

BACKGROUND: Schema therapy is effective for most outpatients with personality disorders (PDs). However, a subgroup does not sufficiently benefit from outpatient programmes. Despite its common clinical use, a thorough evaluation of day treatment group schema therapy (GST) is lacking. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of day treatment GST for patients with PDs. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Negative core beliefs were the primary outcome in a multiple baseline single-case design, measured weekly before and during 30 weeks of day treatment GST. Secondary outcomes included severity of primary PD, early maladaptive schemas (EMS), schema modes and general psychopathology measured before and after day treatment GST. Intervention effects were evaluated through visual inspection and randomization test analysis, with a reliable change index calculated for the secondary outcome measures. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: A total of 79% of treatment completers showed a significant positive effect of day treatment GST with large effect sizes (Cohen's d: 0.96-10.04). Secondary outcomes supported these findings: 56% had a significant decrease in the severity of primary PD and 53% in general psychopathology. In addition, 63% of EMS and 72% of schema modes (87.5% for functional schema modes) showed significant positive reliable changes. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: This is the first empirical study that demonstrated the effectiveness of day treatment GST in patients with severe PDs. Day treatment GST can serve as a stepped care treatment option for nonresponsive patients in outpatient programmes. Further randomized controlled (cost-)effectiveness research is necessary to substantiate these findings and investigate the specific patient populations for which day treatment is essential.

Evolutionary systems therapy for paranoid personality disorder: A seven cases series.

Little is known about effective psychosocial treatments for paranoid personality disorder. This study explores the feasibility of a novel treatment, namely Evolutionary Systems Therapy, in supporting individuals diagnosed with paranoid personality disorder. Seven patients attended 10 months of individual therapy without receiving any psychopharmacological treatment. The primary outcome was the feasibility of the intervention, while the secondary outcomes were remission from the diagnosis and reliable changes in personality pathology and paranoid ideation. All recruited patients completed the intervention and did not report any adverse events. Six out of seven patients experienced remission from the diagnosis of paranoid personality disorder. All participants showed reliable changes in personality pathology and paranoid ideation, which were maintained at the 1-month follow-up. Further research is needed to confirm these encouraging results.

Group schema therapy combined with psychomotor therapy for older adults with a personality disorder: an open-label, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Although several types of psychotherapy effectively reduce psychological distress associated with personality disorders, randomised controlled trials (RCT) have systematically excluded older patients. We aimed to examine the effectiveness of group schema therapy combined with psychomotor therapy (GST + PMT) in later life compared with treatment as usual (TAU). METHODS: We did an open-label, multicentre, RCT in eight outpatient clinics for geriatric psychiatry in the Netherlands. Adults aged 60 years or older with a full or subthreshold cluster B or C personality disorder according to DSM criteria were included and randomly assigned 1:1 to GST + PMT or TAU by an independent researcher applying a computer-generated sequence per study site when 8 to 16 patients had given informed consent; investigators and interviewers were kept blinded until end of follow-up. Included individuals received 20 weekly sessions of GST + PMT or TAU with 1 year of follow-up. The primary outcome was psychological distress, measured with the 53-item Brief Symptom Inventory. The trial was registered with International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, NTR6621. FINDINGS: Of the 145 study participants recruited between Feb 21, 2018, and Jan 21, 2020, 102 patients (median age of 69 years [IQR 63-71], 62 [61%] female) who concluded therapy before the COVID-19 pandemic (cutoff March 20, 2020) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis (51 in each study group), because COVID-19 measures substantially disrupted delivery of group therapy. GST + PMT significantly improved psychological distress compared with TAU over the 6-month treatment period (Cohen's d 0·42, 95% CI 0·16 to 0·68; p=0·0016). The pre-post effect of GST + PMT remained stable during follow-up, whereas patients receiving TAU further improved, resulting in a non-significant difference between groups at 1 year (Cohen's d 0·21, 95% CI -0·07 to 0·48; p=0·14). No patients reported adverse events. INTERPRETATION: Psychotherapy focused on personality disorders is effective in later life, resulting in a faster improvement in psychopathology than TAU. Future studies should focus on increasing effectiveness by intensifying or prolonging treatment. FUNDING: Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development. TRANSLATION: For the Dutch translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.

Readiness and Personality Disorders: Considering Patients' Readiness for Change and Our System's Readiness for Patients.

ABSTRACT: The culture around personality disorder treatment has changed drastically in the past generation. While once perceived as effectively untreatable, there are now numerous evidence-based treatment approaches for personality disorders (especially borderline personality disorder). The questions, however, of who should be matched to which treatment approach, and when, remain largely unanswered. In other areas of psychiatry, particularly substance use disorders and eating disorders, assessing patient treatment readiness is viewed as indispensable for treatment planning. Despite this, relatively little research has been done with respect to readiness and personality disorder treatment. In this article, we propose multiple explanations for why this may be the case, relating to both the unique features of personality disorders and the current cultural landscape around their treatment. While patients with personality disorders often face cruel stigmatization, and much more work needs to be done to expand access to care (i.e., our system's readiness for patients), even gold-standard treatment options are unlikely to work if a patient is not ready for treatment. Further study of readiness in the context of personality disorders could help more effectively match patients to the right treatment, at the right time. Such research could also aid development of strategies to enhance patient readiness.

A bibliometric analysis of the quantitative schema therapy literature.

BACKGROUND: The evidence base for schema therapy has evolved significantly since it was first developed by Jeffrey Young in the 1990s. The aim of this bibliometric analysis was to summarize the trends and characteristics of the quantitative literature on schema therapy. METHOD: PsycINFO, PubMed and CINAHL Complete databases were last searched on 1 June 2023 following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020 statement to identify peer-reviewed journal articles written in English that reported on original quantitative research on schema therapy or schema therapy constructs. NVivo was used to complete a descriptive analysis of the bibliographic, sample and study characteristics, and a coding framework was applied to capture the aspect of the schema therapy model that was the focus of each study, as well as the study context (e.g., the population or outcomes under investigation). SciVal was used to complete citations and authorship analyses. VOSviewer was used to examine co-authorship networks. RESULTS: A total of 704 quantitative studies on schema therapy were published by 483 unique first authors between 1994 and mid-2023. Studies predominantly used correlational designs with small samples (Mdn N = 153) of mostly females aged 18 years or older. The articles tended to focus on early maladaptive schemas, rather than schema domains or schema modes. Schema therapy and its concepts were most frequently studied in the context of depression and personality disorders. SciVal analyses indicated that, on average, articles were cited 27 times, with a Field Weighted Citation Impact of 1.02. CONCLUSIONS: Schema therapy research output appears to have slowed in recent years and several critical research gaps were evident. Areas of high priority for future research include schema modes and coping responses, and the use of developmental and longitudinal designs to evaluate several key causal assumptions in the theory underpinning schema therapy.

What do we need in order to successfully treat persons with pathological narcissism? How does change happen? Treatment principles and mechanisms of change emerging from single cases treated by experts: A commentary.

Persons with pathological narcissism (PN) or narcissistic personality disorder present with a wide array of symptoms and social problems. They need effective psychotherapies but empirical evidence for what works with them is mostly lacking. In this issue of the Journal and Clinical Psychology: In Session four authors from different orientations described single cases of patients suffering from different manifestations of PN. In this commentary we reviewed in detail the four cases and tried to distill (a) the treatment principles adopted; (b) the actual mechanisms of therapeutic change. We hope that the list of principles and mechanisms and change we identified here can help both clinicians and researchers develop and test effective options for persons with PN who are difficult to treat but do have chances to change in a meaningful way in treatment.

Brief individual experiential schema therapy in adult outpatients with cluster C personality disorders: Does it work?

This study investigated the effectiveness of brief individual experiential schema therapy (ST) in 12 adult outpatients with cluster C personality disorders (PD) using randomised multiple baseline design. Waitlist period was followed by five explorative sessions, 18 experiential ST sessions, two treatment follow-up (FU) booster sessions and a 6-month FU assessment. Overall well-being (ORS), behavioural treatment goals and negative core beliefs were assessed 60-91 times, global symptomatic distress (BSI) six times. PD severity (SCID-5-PD) was pre-post-analysed. Randomisation and non-parametric tests showed large significant effects (d = 1.08-2.38, r = .53-.66) on all outcomes at treatment-FU and 6-month FU assessment. This is the first study providing preliminary evidence of effectiveness of brief individual experiential ST for patients with cluster C PD, tentatively challenging the common tenet that long treatment duration is required. Due to limitations, replication is recommended.

Early maladaptive schema, attachment style, and parenting style in a clinical population with personality disorder and normal individuals: a discriminant analysis model.

INTRODUCTION: Researchers have shown various variables' role in forming personality disorders (PD). This study aimed to assess the role of early maladaptive schema (EMS), attachment style (AS), and parenting style (PS) in discriminating between personality disorders and normal individuals. METHODS: In this study, 78 personality disorder patients and 360 healthy volunteers aged 18-84 were selected using convenience sampling. They completed the Schema Questionnaire-Short Form (SQ-SF), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Baumrind's Parenting Styles Questionnaire (PSI). Data were analyzed using discriminant analysis with IBM SPSS 25. RESULTS: The results showed higher mean scores in all early maladaptive schema domains, insecure attachment styles, and authoritarian parenting in the personality disorder group than in the normal group. Also, discriminant analyses revealed that the function was statistically significant and could distinguish between the two groups and a compound of essential variables, disconnection, impaired autonomy, and secure attachment, respectively, discriminating two groups. Given that all components were able to distinguish between the two groups. CONCLUSION: Therefore, intervention based on these factors early in life may help reduce the characteristics of personality disorders. Also, considering the role of these factors, treatment protocols can be prepared.

Narcissistic Trauma: Main Characteristics and Life Impact.

ABSTRACT: Narcissistic trauma can lead to disruption of the personality functioning system. Therefore, it is important to study the persons who have it, their traits, the sphere of relationships, and strategies of social adaptation. The research aims to study narcissism indicators among individuals with narcissistic trauma diagnosed during a therapeutic conversation to identify its connection with loneliness, life satisfaction, and communication style. The empirical research involved 32 people who sought psychotherapeutic help. All participants provided written consent to participate in the research. A clinical methodology was used to identify the degree of personal narcissism-the Narcissism Assessment Test. The study of the dominant style of social interaction revealed the dominance of two opposite styles: straightforward-aggressive and responsible-generous. Thus, narcissistic trauma is likely to lead to dysfunction of the self-system, and the ability to enjoy life and communication. The data obtained can be useful for both theoretical psychologists and psychotherapists.

A case report of the treatment of narcissistic personality disorder with transference focused psychotherapy.

The following case study provides a description of the transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) treatment of a young man diagnosed with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). TFP is an individual, psychodynamic therapy developed to treat a range of personality disorders. TFP is evidence-based for the treatment of borderline personality disorder and has been adapted for the treatment of NPD. This case illustrates the application of the strategies and techniques of TFP to treatment of NPD as well as challenges clinicians may face in arriving at timely diagnosis of the disorder. Although no specific treatment for NPD has been empirically validated, TFP utilizes the therapeutic techniques identified across modalities for successful treatment of pathological narcissism. This report describes how treatment interventions such as goal setting, developing a therapeutic alliance, using a treatment contract and addressing treatment interfering behaviors contributed to this patient's improvement in self-reflection, formation of healthier and more flexible ideas about self and other, increased self-agency, tolerance of normative disillusionments and increase in empathy.

Societal costs of personality disorders among treatment-seeking patients in Norway: the relative contribution of specific DSM-5 categories.

Personality disorders (PDs) are associated with high levels of societal costs, regardless of whether a single PD or a broad range of PDs have been studied. However, research on the relative contribution of specific PD-types on societal costs is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the possible contributions of the individual DSM-5 categories of PDs on the level of societal costs and its components (health service costs and productivity loss), while controlling for the impact of comorbid mental health and substance use disorders on these outcomes. Participants (n = 798) were retrieved from the quality register of the Norwegian Network for Personality Disorders-a collaboration of PD-treatment units within specialist mental health services. The patients were referred to treatment in the time-period 2017-2020. Costs were assessed using a structured interview covering the 6-month period prior to assessment. Diagnoses were determined by semi-structured diagnostic interviews (SCID-5-PD and M.I.N.I.). Statistics included multiple regression analyses. The main result was that no specific PD had a unique contribution to the high level of societal costs generally found among treatment-seeking patients with PDs. Borderline PD (BPD) was the only PD with significantly higher health service costs than the other PDs, while BPD, avoidant PD, and unspecified PD were independently associated with enhanced productivity loss. The differential cost-effects of specific PDs on the cost components were small. Several comorbid mental health and substance use disorders were significant contributors to costs, irrespective of PD status. The results underscore the importance of developing and implementing effective treatments for a broader range of PDs, to reduce the high levels of societal costs associated with all PDs.

Effectiveness of compassion-focused therapy for self-criticism in patients with personality disorders: a multiple baseline case series study.

OBJECTIVE: Targeting self-criticism, the tendency to negatively evaluate and judge aspects of oneself, may improve treatment efficacy for personality disorders (PDs). This study aimed to test whether adding 12-week group compassion-focused therapy (CFT) that explicitly targets self-criticism to treatment as usual (TAU) would reduce self-criticism in patients with PDs. METHOD: Twelve patients with PDs participated in a multiple baseline study, randomly allocated to different baseline lengths. The primary outcome was twice-weekly assessed self-critical beliefs during baseline, treatment, and follow-up phases. Secondary outcomes were self-criticism, self-compassion, and PD severity at the end of CFT and follow-up (trial registered: NL8131). Nine participants completed the intervention. No significant changes were observed during CFT, but at follow-up significant decrease in self-critical beliefs (Cohen's d = -0.43; 95% CI = -0.73 to -0.12) was reported compared to baseline. On secondary outcomes, most participants showed reliable improvement on self-reported criticism (66.7%) and self-compassion (55.6%), and a minority of patients showed reliable improvement in PD severity (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: This study seems to provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of 12-week CFT for self-critical beliefs in patients with PDs compared to TAU. CFT for self-criticism in PDs may complement treatment offerings and warrant further research.

Perspectives of service users and carers with lived experience of a diagnosis of personality disorder: A qualitative study.

WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Personality disorder is a serious mental health condition affecting up to 52% of psychiatric outpatients and 70% of inpatients and forensic patients. People with a diagnosis of personality disorder have higher morbidity and mortality than those without. Service users and carers reported a lack of training for staff in the management of individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder, particularly with regard to self-harm and suicidal behaviours. Staff burnout creates barriers to compassionate person-centred care for individuals with a diagnosis of personality disorder as staff struggled to accommodate the nature of the presentation when under significant emotional, psychological and professional strain caused by understaffing and lack of support. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: This paper adds new knowledge by informing services of ways to improve care provision from the perspectives of both carers and service users. A more holistic and less medicalised approach to the treatment of problems associated with a diagnosis of a personality disorder should be adopted, and personality disorder training introduced for all healthcare practitioners, to improve patient outcomes. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: There is limited understanding of the experience of people with complex mental health (CMH) needs, including those with a diagnosis of personality disorder (PD) and carers of those individuals. Little is known about carers of those in inpatient forensic settings, yet it has been identified that they may have additional needs when compared to general carers. Research highlights that community carer support services were perceived as inadequate and out-of-area placements were described as putting an added strain on ability to support loved ones. Understanding PD within a population of people with CMH needs and how a diagnosis described as PD impacts on care and treatment experience is vital to providing high-quality care. AIM: To evaluate the care experience of service users and carers with lived experience of a diagnosis of PD and out-of-area placements. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six service users and four carers to explore the experiences and perspectives of people with a diagnosis of PD. Interviews were audio recorded and thematically analysed. RESULTS: Four interrelated themes were developed; Influence of a diagnosis of PD on Staff, Early and Appropriate Intervention, Recognition of the Individual and Training and Knowledge of people with a diagnosis of PD. DISCUSSION: Anti-stigma interventions for staff, research on care provision and structural changes to services including more evidence-based therapy for individuals with a diagnosis of PD may help reduce disparate treatment and improve prognosis for recovery. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: This paper informs services of ways to improve care provision from the perspective of carers and service users. A more holistic and less medicalised approach to the treatment of problems associated with diagnoses of PD should be adopted, and PD training for all healthcare practitioners to improve patient outcomes.

The Kvetch: Assessment, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Patients Who Are Clinically Impaired by Chronic Complaining.

ABSTRACT: Clinicians often encounter patients whose presentations are characterized by long lists of complaints about their biological, psychological, interpersonal, and social conditions. The problems on which the complaints are based are variably reality-based and variably modifiable. Some of these patients display chronic complaining as a core, distinguishing feature. Accordingly, the aims of this article are to consider excesses of chronic complaining as psychiatric phenomena, explore possible pathogenetic contributions, describe approaches for treating conditions marked by clinically pertinent chronic complaining, and suggest areas for future research. Based on clinical observations enhanced by selective narrative literature review, we delineate and differentiate four groups of patients: 1) situational complainers; 2) chronic complainers due to unidentified medical problems; 3) mood-induced chronic complainers; and 4) personality-driven pan-dimensional chronic complainers. The last-mentioned group consists of help-seeking versus help-rejecting subtypes, the latter including a subset we designate as malignant chronic complainers. Strategies for managing these patients begin with detailed assessment of all complaints, ascertaining reality-based contributions to the complaints, including those initiated by patients themselves. Management approaches use specific biopsychosocial techniques based on patient-centered particulars. Psychotherapeutic strategies center on compassionate, empathic witnessing. Specific tactics include attending to unresolved grief and trauma, behavioral activation, cognitive and narrative restructuring and reframing methods, mentalizing and imaginal approaches, and psychodynamic methods including attention to attachment issues and transference. Sources of countertransference reactions to these patients should be identified and can be addressed. The many questions raised by these patients' presentations merit further research.

Outcomes of electroconvulsive therapy in patients with depressive symptoms with versus without comorbid personality disorders/traits: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To assess electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) outcomes in patients affected by depressive symptoms with versus without additional comorbid personality disorders/traits. METHODS: We identified observational studies investigating ECT clinical outcomes in patients affected by depressive symptoms with versus without comorbid personality disorders/traits in Embase/Medline in 11/2022. Our protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023390833). Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa-Scale. Our primary outcomes were ECT response and remission rates. Meta-regression analyses included effects of in/outpatient percentages, age, number of ECT sessions, and electrode placement; subgroup analyses included the assessment methods for personality disorders/traits. We performed sensitivity analyses after excluding poor-quality studies. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies (n = 11,390) were included in our analysis. Patients with comorbid personality disorders/traits had lower remission rates (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.31, 0.58, p < 0.001) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 93.0%) as well as lower response rates (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.24, 0.51, n = 5129, p < 0.001) with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 93.0%) compared with patients without comorbid personality disorders/traits. Relapse rates were higher in patients with versus without comorbid personality disorders/traits (OR = 3.23, 95% CI = 1.40, 7.45, k = 4, n = 239, p = 0.006) with moderate heterogeneity (I2 = 75.0%) and post-ECT memory impairment was more frequent in patients with versus without comorbid personality disorders/traits (OR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.36, 1.46, k = 4, n = 471, p < 0.001) with minimal heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0%). Dropout rates were higher in patients with versus without comorbid personality disorders/traits (OR = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.13, 2.21, k = 3, n = 6145, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with comorbid personality disorders/traits treated with ECT are reported to have lower response and remission rates and higher rates of side effects and relapse rates compared with patients without personality disorders/traits.

Efficacy and recommendations for the delivery of telehealth psychotherapy for people with personality disorder.

OBJECTIVE: There are few studies on the efficacy and acceptability of psychotherapy conducted via telehealth technology for people with personality disorder. This study aims to examine clinician perspectives on virtual psychotherapy. METHOD: Twenty multidisciplinary mental health clinicians (85% female, average age 42 years) with at least 2 years of experience in telehealth psychotherapy contributed quantitative and qualitative ratings of acceptability and efficacy of this modality. RESULTS: Likert scale ratings (1 = not, 5 = very) demonstrated high client acceptability (mean = 4.0), effectiveness (4.0) and high clinician acceptability (4.2) and sustainability (4.2). Three recommendations emerged from qualitative analysis: prioritising frame establishment, ensuring client safety online and maximising alliance-enhancing strategies. CONCLUSIONS: This study, which collected quantitative and qualitative ratings of virtual psychotherapy, found that telehealth psychotherapy can be effective and acceptable for people with personality disorder. Strategies associated with success included strong governance, secure technology and careful attending to relationship management.

[Implications on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Pathology in Adolescents Based on the Sequelae of the Covid-19 Pandemic]. / Implikationen für die Diagnostik und Behandlung der narzisstischen Persönlichkeitspathologie bei Jugendlichen in Folge der COVID-19-Pandemie.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused more adolescents with a pathological narcissistic personality to seek clinical as well as psychotherapeutic treatment due to suicidal crises, breakdown of social functioning and inability to continue school attendance. Recent study results show that youth with personality disorders (pd) had more trouble returning to school and to everyday life following pandemic related closures of schools. In a sample of adolescent patients with pd who were treated with transference focused psychotherapy (TFP-A) in a day-clinic programsignificantlymore juveniles remained absent fromschool during the pandemic then pre-pandemic. Only 42 % of the adolescents from the pandemic-group returned to school as a result of the treatment in comparison to 53%of the juvenile patients who returned to school after being treated before the pandemic. This might be explained by the specific effect the pandemic had on adolescents with narcissistic pd and their problem with being treated. Unfortunately, there is still hesitance in diagnosing and investigating narcissistic personality pathology in adolescence despite the knowledge that the early diagnosis and specified treatment could prevent unfavorable pathways and chronification of their severe problems. Changes in the conceptualization of pd in ICD-11 and DSM-5 enable a differentiated diagnosis beginning in late childhood. Furthermore, there are specialized manualized treatment approaches for adolescents with pd. This paper aims at illustrating the specific characteristics of narcissistic pd in youth as well as describing the symptom aggravation following the pandemic. It also points out the possibilities of a modified specialized treatment approach based on transference focused psychotherapy. Further research is needed to improve diagnostic and therapeutic modifications for juveniles with pd.