TY - JOUR
T1 - Mentalizing the patient-Patient experiences with short-term mentalization-based therapy for borderline personality disorder
T2 - A qualitative study
AU - Hestbæk, Emilie
AU - Hasselby-Andersen, Mathilde
AU - Juul, Sophie
AU - Beier, Nynne
AU - Simonsen, Sebastian
N1 - Copyright © 2022 Hestbæk, Hasselby-Andersen, Juul, Beier and Simonsen.
PY - 2022/12/22
Y1 - 2022/12/22
N2 - BACKGROUND: Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) is an evidence-supported psychotherapy approach for borderline personality disorder (BPD) that has been implemented in mental health services worldwide. Originally, MBT was developed as an 18-months program for BPD. However, a short-term (5 months) MBT program has been developed. Research into patient experiences with long-term MBT for BPD is scarce, and no studies have investigated patient experience with short-term MBT for BPD.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore patient experience with short-term MBT for BPD in the Danish mental health services.METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 outpatients diagnosed with BPD, who attended short-term MBT for 5 months. The interviews were verbatim transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis with double coding.RESULTS: The analysis resulted in four subordinate themes: (1) Treatment duration - too short or appropriately short?, (2) The group as a "safe space," (3) Bad experiences impacted treatment negatively, and (4) My life has changed for the better.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that most of the patients were overall satisfied with short-term MBT, which they experienced as having a positive impact on their lives. However, a subgroup of patients wanted more therapy. This study highlighted the strengths and limitations of short-term MBT for BPD as experienced by the patients, and points to barriers in developing service-user informed short-term treatment options for BPD.
AB - BACKGROUND: Mentalization-based therapy (MBT) is an evidence-supported psychotherapy approach for borderline personality disorder (BPD) that has been implemented in mental health services worldwide. Originally, MBT was developed as an 18-months program for BPD. However, a short-term (5 months) MBT program has been developed. Research into patient experiences with long-term MBT for BPD is scarce, and no studies have investigated patient experience with short-term MBT for BPD.OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to explore patient experience with short-term MBT for BPD in the Danish mental health services.METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 12 outpatients diagnosed with BPD, who attended short-term MBT for 5 months. The interviews were verbatim transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis with double coding.RESULTS: The analysis resulted in four subordinate themes: (1) Treatment duration - too short or appropriately short?, (2) The group as a "safe space," (3) Bad experiences impacted treatment negatively, and (4) My life has changed for the better.CONCLUSION: The results suggest that most of the patients were overall satisfied with short-term MBT, which they experienced as having a positive impact on their lives. However, a subgroup of patients wanted more therapy. This study highlighted the strengths and limitations of short-term MBT for BPD as experienced by the patients, and points to barriers in developing service-user informed short-term treatment options for BPD.
KW - borderline personality disorder
KW - mentalization-based therapy
KW - patient experiences
KW - personality pathology
KW - qualitative research
KW - short-term psychotherapy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85145726883&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1088872
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1088872
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 36620679
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 13
SP - 1088872
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 1088872
ER -