Comparison of the Effectiveness of Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapy and Mentalization-Based Therapy on Self-Injurious Behaviors, Rejection Sensitivity, and Self-Control in Adolescents with Borderline Personality Organization
Keywords:
Short-term psychodynamic therapy, mentalization-based therapy, self-injurious behaviors, rejection sensitivity, self-control, borderline personalityAbstract
Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of short-term psychodynamic therapy and mentalization-based therapy on self-injurious behaviors, rejection sensitivity, and self-control in adolescents with borderline personality organization.
Method: The present research was a quasi-experimental study using a pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of all adolescents with borderline personality organization who referred to clinics in western Tehran during the second half of the year 2025 (September 2025 to March 2026). From this population, 60 participants were selected through non-random purposive sampling and were then randomly assigned to three groups: short-term psychodynamic therapy, mentalization-based therapy, and a control group. Data were collected using the Personality Organization Questionnaire by Kernberg (2002), the Self-Injury Questionnaire by Sansone, Wiederman, and Sansone (1998), the Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire by Downey and Feldman (1996), and the Self-Control Scale (SCS). Subsequently, therapeutic interventions were implemented for the experimental groups based on the short-term psychodynamic therapy protocol and the mentalization-based therapy protocol developed by Bateman and Fonagy (2016) across nine 90-minute sessions, while the control group was placed on a waiting list. After the completion of treatment, posttests were administered to both groups. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and repeated measures analysis of variance. Bonferroni post hoc tests were used to test the research hypotheses.
Results: The results of the analysis indicated that short-term psychodynamic therapy was not effective in reducing self-injurious behaviors in adolescents with borderline personality organization, whereas mentalization-based therapy led to a significant reduction in self-injurious behaviors in this population. Furthermore, the findings showed that both treatments had equal effects on rejection sensitivity and self-control in adolescents with borderline personality organization.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, the use of short-term psychodynamic therapy and mentalization-based therapy is recommended for improving self-injurious behaviors, rejection sensitivity, and self-control in adolescents with borderline personality organization.
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