The effectiveness of dialectical behavior therapy and emotional schema therapy on reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder

The Borderline personality disorder is one of the most common psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was   to compare the effect of dialectical behavior therapy and emotional schema therapy on reducing the symptoms of borderline personality disorder.

The research was a single-subject design in terms of applied purpose and data collection method. Based on the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder by a psychiatrist and structured clinical interview (SCID) by clinical psychologist and inclusion and exclusion criteria, 4 patients were randomly assigned to dialectical behavioral therapy and emotional schema therapy. Each patient was evaluated 11 times (3 times before the treatment, 5 times during the treatment, and 3 times after the treatment) were evaluated by the Emotion Regulation Scale (ERQ), Borderline Personality Scale (STB), and Emotional Schemas Scale (LESS). Data were analyzed by indicators of trend changes, slope, reviewing of charts. Furthermore, to evaluate the clinical significance, the index of recovery percentage and effect size were used.

Examination of graphs and data analysis showed that emotional schema therapy has reduced hopelessness and impulsivity more than dialectical behavior therapy and also emotional schema therapy had a greater effect on reappraisal emotion. Both treatments also had the same effect in reducing repression.Discussion and

According to the findings, emotional schema therapy can be used as an effective treatment in psychological interventions of patients with a borderline personality disorder.