Background In treatment of personality disorders, wellbeing is complementary to a focus on reducing symptoms. It is known that symptoms are being reduced and relate to the development of characteristics of personality pathology (schemamodes).
Aim To answer the questions: how does wellbeing develop and how is this development related to the development of schemamodes?
Method A naturalistic, prospective, within subjects design was used in the Boerhaven Clinic of Mediant. Respondents received inpatient schema therapy with a focus on symptom reduction as well as increasing functional schema modes and wellbeing. A mixed model analysis was used to assess changes in wellbeing and schema modes at 0, 6, 12 and 18 months.
Results Wellbeing increased significantly during treatment, but declined somewhat at follow-up. A connection was found between increases in wellbeing and increases in functional schema modes and decreases in coping modes.
Conclusion Symptoms and wellbeing develop in a different way during and after inpatient schema therapy and they have different relationships with schema modes. A positive psychological approach is recommended besides treatment of symptoms.