A person-centered, transdiagnostic schema and mode profile approach to predict outcome in time-limited schema group therapy.

OBJECTIVE: This study employs a person-centered transdiagnostic approach to examine how schema and mode profiles predict symptom severity reduction in schema group therapy for patients with personality disorders and enduring clinical syndromes. METHOD: We analyzed symptom reduction in 248 patients across three formats of manualized, time-limited schema group therapy. Latent profile analysis and mixed multilevel modeling were used to determine the extent to which schema/mode classes predict symptom reduction, and whether the inclusion of individual schemas and modes enhances these predictions. RESULTS: No significant differences in treatment outcomes were found across the group modalities. A three latent profile solution for schemas and modes showed external validity with clinical variables and demonstrated that declines in symptom severity varied by schema and mode class, even after adjusting for baseline symptom severity. Adding the Vulnerability to Harm schema and Vulnerable Child mode to the model increased the explained variance. CONCLUSION: Patients with more severe personality problems show more substantial symptom reduction. Both schema and mode profiles significantly contribute to predicting post-treatment symptom levels. Understanding these profiles may help therapists tailor interventions more effectively, consistent with Young's theoretical model.Trial registration: ISRCTN.org identifier: ISRCTN17262253.

Changes in symptom severity, schemas and modes in heterogeneous psychiatric patient groups following short-term schema cognitive-behavioural group therapy: a naturalistic pre-treatment and post-treatment design in an outpatient clinic.

UNLABELLED: Schema therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder. However, little is known of its merits in other psychiatric (personality) disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated whether schema therapy in a group setting (group schema cognitive-behavioural therapy [SCBT-g]) was associated with changes in symptom and schema and mode severity. Furthermore, the aim was to search for baseline predictors and possible mediators of treatment outcome. DESIGN AND METHOD: Sixty-three heterogeneous psychiatric outpatients who attended the SCBT-g were included as participants. In this naturalistic pre-treatment and post-treatment design, data were available on the Symptom Checklist 90, the Schema Questionnaire and the Young-Atkinson Mode Inventory. RESULTS: All outcome measurements showed changes with moderate to high effect sizes, with 53.2% of the patients showing a significant reduction in severity of psychiatric symptoms and schemas and modes. Higher pre-treatment levels of the schema domain Other Directedness predicted greater symptom reduction. Pre-treatment to mid-treatment changes in schema severity predicted subsequent symptom improvement, but change in symptoms and schemas proved to be strongly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: In this naturalistic study, SCBT-g was associated with reduced symptom and schema and mode severity in more than half of the psychiatric outpatients. Furthermore, the results suggest that changes in schemas and symptomatology mutually reinforce each other. KEY PRACTITIONER MESSAGE: Over 50% of ambulatory patients show clinical improvement after treatment in a short-term schema therapy group. Other Directedness seems to be a predictor of schema group therapy success. More randomized controlled trial studies and prediction and mediation studies on (short-term) schema group therapy are sorely needed.