Improvement of personality functioning in patients with personality disorders: a comparative study of mentalization-based treatment versus non-manualized treatments - Takeaways - MDSpire

Improvement of personality functioning in patients with personality disorders: a comparative study of mentalization-based treatment versus non-manualized treatments

  • By

  • Kjetil Bremer

  • Geir Pedersen

  • Andreas Ekberg

  • Katharina T. E. Morken

  • Helene A. Nissen-Lie

  • Eileen Oftedal

  • Theresa Wilberg

  • Elfrida. H. Kvarstein

  • June 22, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Mentalization-based treatment (MBT) is a manualized, long-term therapy specifically designed for individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD).

  • 2

    Patients undergoing MBT exhibited more severe personality pathology and a higher symptom burden compared to those receiving non-manualized treatments (NMT).

  • 3

    Both MBT and NMT resulted in clinically relevant improvements in personality functioning (PF), with effect sizes ranging from medium to large in both groups.

  • 4

    Greater improvement in PF was associated with an increasing number of borderline and narcissistic personality disorder criteria in MBT patients.

  • 5

    The study highlights the need for further development of effective treatments specifically targeting avoidant personality disorder (AvPD).

Original Source(s)

Improvement of personality functioning in patients with personality disorders: a comparative study of mentalization-based treatment versus non-manualized treatments

  • by Kjetil Bremer, Geir Pedersen, Andreas Ekberg, Katharina T. E. Morken, Helene A. Nissen-Lie, Eileen Oftedal, Theresa Wilberg, Elfrida. H. Kvarstein

  • June 22, 2026

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