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‘Teaching Me to Parent Myself’: The Feasibility of an In-Patient Group Schema Therapy Programme for Complex Trauma

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 December 2017

Rita Younan ,
Joan Farrell  and
Tamara May
Rita Younan
Affiliation:
The Victoria Clinic, Prahran, VIC, Australia and Schema Institute Australia, Carlton, VIC, Australia
Joan Farrell
Affiliation:
Center for BPD Treatment and Research and Indiana University/Purdue University – Indianapolis, USA
Tamara May*
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia Deakin Child Study Centre, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC, Australia
*
Correspondence to Tamara May, 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, Australia, 3125. E-mail: tamara.may@deakin.edu.au
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Abstract

Background: Group schema therapy is an emerging treatment for personality and other psychiatric disorders. It may be particularly suited to individuals with complex trauma given that early abuse is likely to create maladaptive schemas. Aims: This pilot study explored the feasibility and effectiveness of a 4-week in-patient group schema therapy programme for adults with complex trauma in a psychiatric hospital setting. Method: Thirty-six participants with complex trauma syndrome participated in this open trial. Treatment consisted of 60 hours of group schema therapy and 4 hours of individual schema therapy administered over 4 weeks. Feasibility measures included drop-out rates, qualitative interviews with participants to determine programme acceptability and measures of psychiatric symptoms, self-esteem, quality of life and schema modes pre-, post- and 3 months following the intervention. Results: Drop-out rate for the 4-week program was 11%. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts revealed four major themes: connection, mode language explained emotional states, identifying the origin of the problem and the emotional activation of the programme. Measures of psychiatric symptoms, self-esteem and quality of life showed improvement post-treatment and at 3 months post-treatment. There was a reduction in most maladaptive schema modes pre-/post-treatment. Conclusions: A group schema therapy approach for complex trauma is feasible and demonstrates positive effects on psychiatric symptoms and maladaptive schemas.

Keywords

schema therapycomplex traumadevelopmental traumapsychiatric in-patient
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 46 , Issue 4 , July 2018 , pp. 463 - 478
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2017 

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