Outpatient psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder: randomized trial of schema-focused therapy vs transference-focused psychotherapy
Also known as Giesen-Bloo et al. 2006, Giesen-Bloo 2006, Outpatient psychotherapy for borderline personality disorder (Giesen-Bloo et al., 2006)
The Dutch trial in which schema therapy beat transference-focused psychotherapy for BPD
At a glance
What it found
Both worked, Schema therapy did better, Fewer dropouts …
See all 4Key ideas
Head to head, Intention to treat, Follow-up studies
See all 3Read next
Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder, Cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronically parasuicidal borderline patients, Effect size
See all 3Connections
Josephine Giesen-Bloo, Arnoud Arntz and 3 others
See all 5
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Treatments for borderline personality disorder had shown only limited effects, so this trial compared two long therapies head to head.
- 88 patients at four Dutch mental health centres got three years of schema-focused therapy or transference-focused psychotherapy, twice a week.
- Both treatments helped on every measure.
- Schema therapy patients were about twice as likely to recover, dropped out less, and gained more quality of life.
Why it matters
- The study that made schema therapy a leading treatment for BPD.
- It is a clear example of a head-to-head trial between two active therapies, a good case for learning to read outcome research.
Key facts
- Authors
- Josephine Giesen-Bloo, Richard van Dyck, Philip Spinhoven, Willem van Tilburg, Carmen Dirksen, Thea van Asselt, Ismay Kremers, Marjon Nadort, Arnoud Arntz1
- Published
- June 20061
- Journal
- Archives of General Psychiatry 63(6): 649–6581
- DOI
- 10.1001/archpsyc.63.6.6491
- Design
- Multicentre randomized trial, 2 groups; 3 years of therapy, 2 sessions a week; assessed every 3 months1
- Sample
- 88 patients with BPD at four community mental health centres; data on 44 schema therapy and 42 TFP patients1
- Main result
- More schema therapy patients recovered (relative risk 2.18; P = .04) or improved reliably (relative risk 2.33; P = .009)1
- Recovery rates
- After 3 years 45% recovered with schema therapy vs 24% with TFP; dropout 27% vs 50%2
- Cited by
- 507 (Europe PMC)1
- Audience
- Clinicians and researchers in personality disorders1
What it found
-
Both worked1
Statistically and clinically significant improvement with both treatments on all measures after 1, 2 and 3 years.
-
Schema therapy did better1
More recovery and reliable improvement, greater gains in general functioning and quality of life.
-
Fewer dropouts1
TFP patients had a higher dropout risk (P = .01).
-
A year later2
Full recovery rose to 52% with schema therapy and 29% with TFP.
Key ideas
-
Head to head1
Compares two active, long-term therapies rather than therapy against waiting list or usual care.
-
Intention to treat1
Results were analysed for everyone randomized, not only those who finished.
-
Follow-up studies2
A later Dutch trial found less intensive schema therapy in regular care just as effective.
Read next
-
Schema Therapy for Borderline Personality Disorder
The treatment manual for the therapy tested here.
-
Cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronically parasuicidal borderline patients
The first trial of DBT, the other well-tested BPD therapy.
-
Help with reading the trial's numbers.
Connections
Written by
- Josephine Giesen-Bloo
- Arnoud ArntzPersonProject leader
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us
The line under a date fills as time passes: empty when new, then one equal share each for a day, a week, a month and a year. For episodes and other items it is full at 2 years; for "last checked", at a year. A striped line means the date is known only to the month or year.