https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2025.810
Transference-focused psychotherapy in an inpatient setting for borderline personality disorders: changes in symptomatology
Submitted: July 8, 2024
Accepted: November 12, 2024
Published: January 28, 2025
Accepted: November 12, 2024
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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This prospective, naturalistic, longitudinal study examined changes in borderline-specific symptoms in a six-month, manualbased transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) inpatient treatment for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in comparison to a waitlist control group. Seventy-four patients with BPD received TFP in a multi-professional inpatient setting, of whom 27 patients represented the waitlist control group. 31 patients completed six months of treatment. Borderline-specific symptoms were measured by means of the Borderline Symptom List (BSL-23) prior to treatment (waitlist control group), at the beginning, after 3 months, and at the end of it. BSL-23 scores decreased significantly from the beginning to the end of the six-month inpatient therapy program with a medium effect size of d=0.54. There was no change in symptoms for the waitlist control group. Our findings suggest that inpatient TFP is effective in terms of the reduction of borderline-specific symptoms. In terms of this, the duration of the treatment seems to be a meaningful factor. Further research will investigate changes in specific psychodynamic aspects as well as in the follow-up measurement.
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How to Cite
Abel, T., Happel, M., Daerr, F., Spitzer, C., Benecke, C., & Dulz, B. (2025). Transference-focused psychotherapy in an inpatient setting for borderline personality disorders: changes in symptomatology. Research in Psychotherapy: Psychopathology, Process and Outcome. https://doi.org/10.4081/ripppo.2025.810
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