Comparison of the effectiveness of family-centered schema therapy, with and without supportive therapy in reducing the symptoms of patients with borderline personality disorder

BACKGROUND: Based on the increasing spread of chronic diseases and their destructive role, a borderline personality disorder is the most common personality disorder in the group of chronic mental diseases. This research aims to compare the effectiveness of family-centered schema therapy, with and without supportive therapy. It was done to reduce the symptoms of patients with borderline personality disorder. METHODS: This semi-experimental research was conducted with a pre-test/post-test design. 30 people were selected by census method based on the research inclusion criteria from among all patients with a definite diagnosis of borderline personality disorder at Quds Hospital in Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran, in the spring of 2021. They were randomly divided into intervention and control groups, and the intervention group received 12 hours of family-oriented intervention and supportive therapy in a group manner in 8 sessions. The data collected through the Borderline Personality Disorder Severity Index (BPDSI) were analyzed by comparing the amount of borderline personality disorder in the research units before and after the intervention using SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: The average symptoms of borderline personality disorder in supportive therapy and family-centered schema therapy were equal to 13.64 and 11.00, respectively, before the group intervention and 11.24 and 7.92, after the intervention. CONCLUSION: The combined treatment of family-centered schema therapy with therapeutic support has caused more reduction in the symptoms of borderline personality disorder than the family-centered therapy without therapeutic support; therefore, it is suggested that the combined mode of family-centered schema therapy and therapeutic support should be prioritized in therapeutic interventions.