Evaluation of a Multifamily Group for Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder and Their Relatives: A Diary Study

Background. Family conflicts and dysfunctional behaviors play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Based on dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), Alan Fruzzetti considered these factors in a transactional model of development. To provide BPD sufferers as well as their relatives with strategies to more functionally cope with emotions and interactions, Fruzzetti developed DBT family skills. Research question. In this pilot study, we evaluated the effectiveness of such skills as a therapeutic intervention in a multifamily setting. Method. Using diary and session queries, we collected procedural data of psychological distress and frequency of use of DBT family skills (AFS). Via trend analyses, we identified evidence of hypothesis-compliant strain reductions and an increase in AFS over the course of the group among both BPD sufferers and family members. Conclusion. The results of the pilot study provide initial evidence that DBT family skills offered in a multifamily format contribute to a reduction in psychological distress for BPD sufferers and their family members.