Efficacy of Brief Adaptational Psychotherapy

Abstract

Brief Adaptational Psychotherapy (BAP) is a short-term approach to the treatment of personality disorders that uses as its primary focus the major maladaptive pattern of the patient. Fifteen patients were treated and 16 patients were kept on a waiting-list quasi-control group. Significant differences at termination of therapy were found between the BAP and control groups for two of three target complaints as shown by the Symptom Check List 90-R and the Social Adjustment Scale. In addition, patients improved further on two of three target complaints from termination to follow-up of 1 to 5 years (mean = 2.6 years). The findings of this pilot study indicate that significant change can occur in patients with personality disorders utilizing the techniques of brief dynamic psychotherapy.