A feasibility study of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for individuals with borderline personality disorder.
Sandy Sachse, Saskia Keville, Janet Feigenbaum
Psychology and Psychotherapy Theory Research and Practice April 13, 2011 DOI: 10.1348/147608310x516387 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Repeated measures quasi-experimental feasibility study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Individuals with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder |
| Duration | 8-week intervention, with pre- and post-intervention assessment |
| Topics | Anxiety Depression Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Treatment outcome Feasibility studies Attention Borderline personality disorder Adult Female Cognitive behavioral therapy |
| Key findings | The authors report that an 8-week adapted MBCT group was acceptable to people with borderline personality disorder. Intention-to-treat analysis showed improvement only in attentional control, while post hoc analysis of nine treatment improvers identified changes in mindfulness and somatoform dissociation, and dose-effect analysis suggested weak improvements in mindfulness, experiential avoidance, state anxiety, and somatoform dissociation. They conclude that further exploration of MBCT for BPD is merited. |
Abstract
Objectives: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was originally developed to prevent relapse in recurrent depression. More recently it has been applied to individuals at high risk of suicide or currently suffering with anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to consider the feasibility of MBCT for individuals with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD).
Design: The design of the study was a repeated measures, quasi-experimental design employing within-subject and between-subject comparisons of a sample of participants with BPD. Based on previous studies and theoretical models of the effect of mindfulness and of cognitive therapy, pre- and post-group measures of mindfulness, depression, anxiety, dissociation, impulsivity, experiential avoidance, and attention were obtained.
Method: Participants attended an 8-week adapted MBCT (MBCT-a) group intervention. A total of 22 participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention and were subsequently divided for analysis into two groups: treatment completers (N= 16) and non-completers (number of sessions attended < 4; N= 6).
Results: The study found that MBCT-a is acceptable to individuals with BPD. Using intention to treat analyses, only attentional control improved. However, post hoc analyses of treatment improvers (N= 9) identified changes in mindfulness and somatoform dissociation. A dose-effect analysis suggested a weak improvement in mindfulness, experiential avoidance, state anxiety, and somatoform dissociation.
Conclusions: This study suggests that further exploration of MBCT for use with individuals with BPD is merited. The study lends tentative support for attentional and avoidance models of the effects of mindfulness.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 17
- Prospects for a clinical science of mindfulness-based intervention. American Psychologist October 1, 2015
- Internal and external attention and the default mode network Neuroimage January 18, 2017
- Neuroimaging and Dissociative Disorders InTech eBooks February 1, 2012
- Effects of Group Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy versus Supportive Sex Education on Sexual Concordance and Sexual Response Among Women with Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder. The Journal of Sex Research 2025
- Survival, Attachment, and Healing: An Evolutionary Lens on Interventions for Trauma-Related Dissociation Psychology Research and Behavior Management June 1, 2024
and 12 more in the library
Cites 16
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2004
- Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology Science and Practice 2003
- Mechanisms of mindfulness Journal of Clinical Psychology December 29, 2005
and 11 more in the library