SCHEMA FOCUSED CBT INTERVENTION OF DEPENDENT PERSONALITY DISORDER: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Objective: The present case study explored the temperament and charecterological nature of dependent personality disorder, and Cognitive Behavior therapy with emphasis of childhood schemas as psychological intervention strategy in this endeavor.

Research Design: Case study

Place and Duration of Study: Islamabad, Pakistan.

Sample and Method: Ms A.,26 years old female, a university student  who suffered from an enduring pattern of traits that comprised the characteristics formally identified as “dependent personality disorder”. She also exhibited anxiety states while encountering some challenging situation in general. Ms A was provided with structured preplanned psychotherapy sessions of Cognitive Behavior Therapy with special emphasis on identifying and restructuring of schema constructs. Pre and post evaluation for rating the underlying schemas and anxiety manifested was taken by using “young’s schema Questionnaire by Young [1]” and “Beck Anxiety Inventory by Beck and Steer[2]”.

Results: The results revealed momentous improvement in both variables.

Conclusion: It was concluded that Cognitive Behavior Therapy can be used as an effective intervention strategy when focused on schema constructs of individual suffering from dependent personality disorder.