Feasibility of online group schema therapy: A preliminary study with therapists in training for future application in borderline personality disorder

Background: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is the most prevalent personality disorder and can significantly impair patients' functioning. Evidence-based treatments exist, but can be inaccessible due to various limitations. Internet-delivered treatment could potentially increase accessibility and scalability. Before investigating patients, we planned a pilot-test of video-conferencing group schema therapy (VC-GST) as self-therapy for therapists in training. Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of VC-GST for therapists in training. We hypothesised VC-GST to be a feasible intervention. Methods: An uncontrolled pre-post-test feasibility study was conducted on a group of 24 therapists in training and analysed via one-sample and paired-samples t-tests. Feasibility was assessed through system usability, client satisfaction, group cohesion, working alliance, and drop-out rates. Furthermore, the effect of the VC-GST intervention on the participants' functioning, patterns, and personality traits was evaluated. Results: VC-GST showed high usability and strong client satisfaction, with marked improvement in group cohesion and working alliance, and a drop-out rate of 4 %. Additionally, participants showed an increase in adaptive and decrease in maladaptive schemas. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that VC-GST could be a feasible intervention for therapists in training, warranting further research into VC-GST for a clinical population of BPD patients.