Schema therapy for personality disorders in autistic adults: Results of a multiple case series study.

Researchers studied whether schema therapy could help 12 autistic adults who also had personality disorders. Schema therapy combines different techniques to help people change unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors. The study found significant improvements in participants' core beliefs, mental health symptoms, social skills, and personality disorder traits. These improvements lasted even after treatment ended, suggesting schema therapy may be an effective treatment option for autistic adults with personality disorders.

This multiple case series study examined schema therapy (ST) effectiveness for treating personality disorders in 12 autistic adults aged 19-62 years. The study used a comprehensive design with baseline, exploration, treatment, and follow-up phases. Participants completed weekly ratings of dysfunctional core beliefs during baseline and treatment, with monthly follow-up assessments. Mixed model analyses revealed significant improvements with medium to large effect sizes across multiple domains: dysfunctional core beliefs (primary outcome), functional schema modes, personality disorder traits, general mental health symptoms, and social responsiveness.

Importantly, improvements remained stable during follow-up, suggesting sustained therapeutic benefits. This represents one of the first systematic investigations of personality disorder treatment in autistic adults.

Schema therapy appears promising for treating personality disorders in autistic adults, addressing an understudied clinical need. The multi-domain improvements and sustained effects suggest potential for comprehensive therapeutic benefits. However, larger controlled studies are needed before widespread clinical implementation.

Small sample size (n=12) limits generalizability. Multiple case series design lacks control group comparison. No information provided about treatment duration, therapist training, or treatment fidelity measures. Limited demographic diversity details provided.

To our knowledge, treatment of personality disorder (PD) comorbidity in autistic adults is understudied and is still in its infancy. We investigated the effectiveness of schema therapy (ST) for autistic adults with PD. A multiple case series design with 12 adults (aged 19-62 years) was used with baseline, exploration, ST (with cognitive behavioural and experiential techniques) and follow-up conditions. Participants rated dysfunctional core beliefs (primary outcome) weekly during baseline and treatment and monthly during follow-up.

Schema modes, general mental health symptoms, social responsiveness, PD traits and common Axis-I mental disorders were assessed. Mixed model analyses indicated significant effects of ST with medium to large effect sizes for dysfunctional core beliefs, functional schema modes, PD traits, general mental health symptoms and social responsiveness. Results remained stable during follow-up. The results of this study indicate that ST might be effective in decreasing dysfunctional core beliefs, PD traits and general mental health symptoms and in increasing functional schema modes and social responsiveness.

Improvements persisted over time. ST seems effective in treating PD in autistic individuals.