Comparing the Effectiveness of the Group Therapy and Training Based on the Combined Approach of Acceptance and Commitment and Schema Therapy on Impulsiveness and Schema Modes of People with Borderline Personality Disorder

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of the group therapy and training based on the combined approach of acceptance and commitment and schema therapy on impulsive behaviors and schema modes of people with borderline personality disorder. This was a semi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design. The statistical population was all the clients of a psychological center in the fall and winter 2023 that 45 people with the diagnosis of BPD were screened through a clinical interview. Due to the withdrawal of some volunteers, the data of 36 people were analyzed in 3 groups of 12 people. The experimental groups underwent 10 intervention sessions. Research instruments included the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS-11) and the Schema Modes Questionnaire (SMQ). In order to analyze the data, multivariate covariance analysis was used. The findings showed that group therapy was effective in the demanding parent mode (P<0.05), but training was not effective (P>0.05). In the angry child mode, detached protector mode, healthy adult mode and impulsive behaviors, both ways were effective (P<0.05) and there was no significant difference (P>0.05). Both ways were effective in the vulnerable child mode, impulsive child mode, happy child mode and punitive parent mode (P<0.05), but group therapy had more effect than training. Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the combined approach of acceptance and commitment with schema therapy, using both group therapy and training methods, is effective for people diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, but that group therapy has more advantages for these people.