International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

International Journal of Behavioral Sciences

Comparative Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused and Meta-Diagnostic Therapy Approaches on Automatic Negative Thoughts in Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Shiva Khandehroy-Lafmegani 1
Ameneh Kojouri 2
Fateme Koohestani 3
Fatemeh Emami 4
Zahra Shadfar 5
1 Department of Psychology, Allameh Tabatabaei University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Psychology, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
3 Department of Rehabilitation Consulting, Quchan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Quchan, Iran
4 Department of Consulting, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran
5 Department of Psychology, Semnan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Semnan, Iran
10.30491/ijbs.2025.492976.2179
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescents with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) often experience a range of complex issues in their psychological and behavioral well-being. This study aims to examine how Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Meta-Diagnostic Therapy (MDT) differ in their impact on reducing Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT) in adolescents with BPD.
Method: This study utilized a semi-experimental design involving pre-test-post-test and follow-up assessments conducted three months later, with both control and experimental groups. The research focused on adolescents with BPD seeking treatment at psychological clinics in Tehran between July and October 2023. A total of 45 participants were purposively selected to take part in the study. In the final analysis, the groups included Emotional therapy (n=12), Transdiagnostic treatment (n=13), and Control (n=14). The Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire (ATQ-P) was used as the primary measurement tool in this study. Data collected were analyzed using repeated measure ANCOVA, and Bonferroni's post hoc test utilizing SPSS 27 and JASP software version 18.1.0.
Results: The results showed that there was no significant differences in the individual incompatibility aspect between the groups receiving EFT and MDT compared to the control group after the post-test phase (p=1.000). Additionally, there was a substantial contrast between the MDT group and the control group in the follow-up phase (p<0.001). Individual incompatibility level in the MDT group was reduced compared to the control group and that the MDT approach was effective but the EFT approach was not effective. Negative self-concepts were observed between the two groups undergoing MDT and the control group. The decrease in negative self-concepts was more noticeable in the MDT group compared to the control group, demonstrating the efficacy of this treatment over EFT.
Conclusion: The current study demonstrated that MDT was effective in decreasing automatic negative thoughts in adolescents with BPD. Conversely, EFT did not yield the same positive outcomes in the study, suggesting that different and more tailored treatment methods may be necessary for such disorders.
Keywords
Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)
Meta-Diagnostic Therapy
Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANT)
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
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International Journal of Behavioral Sciences
Volume 19, Issue 1
Spring 2025
Pages 42-50