Despite the use of case formulation being encouraged for in-patient psychiatric care, there have been no previous examples and evaluations of this type of work on a psychiatric intensive care unit (PICU).

To evaluate whether a schema-informed formulation with a patient diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder (EUPD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mild learning difficulties was effective in reducing the use of restrictive interventions.

A biphasic n = 1 quasi-experimental design with an 8-week baseline versus an 8-week intervention phase. The restrictive outcomes measured were use of physical restraint, seclusion, and intramuscular rapid tranquilisation. The formulation was developed through eight one-to-one sessions during the baseline period, and was implemented via six one-to-one sessions during the intervention phase and discussion at the ward reflective practice group. The intervention encouraged better communication of schema modes from the patient and for staff to then respond with bespoke mode support.

Incidents involving need for seclusion, restraint and rapid tranquilisation extinguished.

The need for making access to psychological input a routine aspect of the care in PICUs and the necessity for developing a methodologically more robust evidence base for psychological interventions on these wards.

Mood instability and risk-taking are hallmarks of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Schema modes are combinations of self-reflective evaluations, negative emotional states, and destructive coping strategies common in BPD. When activated, they can push patients with BPD into emotional turmoil and a dissociative state of mind. Our knowledge of the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms driving these changes is incomplete. We hypothesized that in patients with BPD, affective instability is more influenced by reward expectation, outcomes, and reward prediction errors (RPEs) during risky decision-making than in healthy controls. Additionally, we expected that these alterations would be related to schema modes.

Thirty-two patients with BPD and thirty-one healthy controls were recruited. We used an established behavioral paradigm to measure mood fluctuations during risky decision-making. The impact of expectations and RPEs on momentary mood was quantified by a computational model, and its parameters were estimated with hierarchical Bayesian analysis. Model parameters were compared using High-Density Intervals.

We found that model parameters capturing the influence of RPE and Certain Rewards on mood were significantly higher in patients with BPD than in controls. These model parameters correlated significantly with schema modes, but not with depression severity.

BPD is coupled with altered associations between mood fluctuation and reward processing under uncertainty. Our findings seem to be BPD-specific, as they stand in contrast with the correlates of depressive symptoms. Future studies should establish the clinical utility of these alterations, such as predicting or assessing therapeutic response in BPD.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) runs in families; however, there are mixed results on the interaction effects of parent’s and child’s psychopathology on parenting qualities. Cognitive/schema therapy is a promising treatment approach for adult ADHD; we know little about the effect of cognitive factors on parenting, however.

We aimed to fill this gap by exploring the role of dysfunctional schema modes in the associations between adult ADHD symptoms, child’s externalizing symptoms, and perceived parental competence in a dimensional approach.

A community sample of parents (N=100, mean age=38.25 years, SD=5.73) filled out online questionnaires assessing ADHD symptoms (Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale), dysfunctional schema modes (Schema Mode Inventory), perceived parental competence (Parental Sense of Competence Scale), and child’s psychopathology (Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire).

In a multivariate model, higher levels of parental ADHD symptoms were related to higher levels of dysfunctional schema modes. However, neither the child’s externalizing symptoms nor the interaction term of parent’s symptoms by the child’s symptoms had any effect on dysfunctional schema modes. Furthermore, the child’s externalizing symptoms had a direct negative association with parental self-efficacy beliefs, whereas the relationship between adult ADHD symptoms and parental self-efficacy was mediated by the detached and overcompensating dysfunctional schema modes.

Our results suggest that the activation of dysfunctional schema modes is related to the parent’s but not the child’s psychopathology. The activation of dysfunctional schema modes may play an important role in the self-efficacy beliefs of parents with ADHD. Targeting that cognitive factors may enhance the effect of behavioral parent training programs.

This research was supported by National Research, Development, and Innovation Office (NKFIH) OTKA-PD-134849 grant.

The relevance of schema theory to psychopathology, in particular personality disorder, in younger adults is established. Investigations into the relevance of schema theory to older adults, however, is highly limited.

To consider the relationship of schema modes to psychopathology in older adults and establish whether maladaptive schema modes are associated with unmet needs and that this relationship is mediated by the healthy adult mode of responding in this population.

One hundred and four older adults were recruited from an established database. Participants completed questionnaires assessing psychopathology, schema modes (YAMI: Young-Atkinson Mode Inventory) and basic psychological needs (BPNS: Basic Psychological Needs Scale – autonomy, competence and relatedness). Ninety-four responses were included after applying exclusion criteria.

The healthy adult schema mode was found to be associated with reduced psychopathology, and maladaptive child modes (angry and vulnerable child) to increased psychopathology. The healthy adult schema mode mediated the relationship between maladaptive child modes and needs satisfaction.

As predicted by schema theory, the presence of one of the maladaptive child modes makes it difficult for an older individual to have their needs met, but the presence of healthy adult mode works to support this process.