Effectiveness of Schema Therapy in Treating Abandonment Schema in Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Borderline Personality Disorder is a personality disorder marked by unstable relationships, distorted sense of self, intense emotions, and impulsivity. Treatment options for the disorder range from pharmacological to psychotherapeutic, with various approaches to psychotherapy available. Schema Therapy is one approach that has been proven by studies to be effective in treating the symptoms of the disorder. The current research was a quasi-experimental pre-post design study on the effectiveness of Schema Therapy in treating Abandonment Schema in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). The participants were six patients already diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, above the age of 18. The results of the study showed that there were certain schemas that were common in all the participants and that Schema Therapy was effective in modifying the schema of Abandonment in BPD patients. There was no difference between therapy outcomes when it came to male and female participants, however. Recommendations and suggestions for future studies have been discussed in the text.