Ulrich Schweiger

Introduction: In the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD), there is empirical support for both dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and schema therapy (ST); these treatments have never been compared directly. This study examines whether either of them is more effective than the other in treating patients with BPD. Methods: In this ran-d...

Objective Chairwork is one of the core experiential techniques of Schema Therapy (ST) which is used in the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, little is known about how people with BPD experience chairwork. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of patients with BPD with chairwork in ST. Method...

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent and disabling disorder. This study examines two psychotherapy methods for MDD, behavioral activation (BA), and metacognitive therapy (MCT), when applied as outpatient treatments to severely affected patients. Methods: The study was conducted in a tertiary outpatient treatment ce...

Background: Unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD) are associated with elevated mortality risk secondary to natural causes. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) constitutes the most prevalent underlying condition. Patients with BD display higher CVD-associated excess mortality than MDD patients. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT)...

Germany is a middle-European country with nearly 83 million inhabitants (Zensus, 2011). It consists of 16 constituent states, and its political system is a federal parliamentary republic. It is a highly industrialized country, which, like many other developed Western countries, has seen over the last few decades a transition in the economy from tra...

According to previous research, borderline personality disorder (BPD) is associated with high cost-of-illness. However, there is still a shortage of cost-of-illness-studies assessing costs from a broad societal perspective, including direct and indirect costs. Further, there are considerable differences in the results among the existing studies. In...

Importance: Schema therapy (ST), delivered either in an individual or group format, has been compared with other active treatments for borderline personality disorder (BPD). To our knowledge, the 2 formats have not been compared with treatment as usual (TAU) or with each other. Such comparisons help determine best treatment practices. Objective:...

CBASP ist eine Methode der Verhaltenstherapie, die spezifisch für die Behandlung von erwachsenen Patienten mit einer chronischen depressiven Störung entwickelt wurde. CBASP nimmt an, dass Patienten mit chronischer Depression aufgrund ihrer Besonderheiten von Informationsverarbeitung und Verhalten interpersonelle Ziele nur ungenügend erreichen könne...

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is currently the most researched therapy method to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). A major component of DBT is learning and practicing specific skills to regulate emotions. Qualitative studies found that patients perceived DBT skills as helpful in dealing with emotions. However, DBT consists of more t...

Background: Cognitive Behavioral System of Psychotherapy (CBASP) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) are effective for depression. CBASP might offer most benefit in patients reporting childhood emotional abuse (CEA). This needs to be confirmed in real-world settings and in comparisons with bona-fide psychotherapies. This study examines the moderating i...

Despite the clinical importance of deep wrist injuries (DWIs), data comparing the outcome of suicide attempt survivors vs. accident survivors are lacking. Patients admitted to our Clinic for acute treatment of a DWI from 2008 to 2016 were contacted for a follow-up assessment of sensory, motor and functional outcomes. Patients also completed the Dis...

Background Perceived social support (PSS) is a crucial factor in physical and mental health. Previous studies found a negative association between childhood maltreatment (CM) and current PSS. Objective In this paper, we investigate whether psychopathology moderates this association in a sample of patients with Depressive Disorder (DD) and Borderli...

Importance Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental disorder that is often inadequately treated. Objective To determine if adding a self-management intervention to care as usual (CAU) is effective and safe. Design Randomised, controlled, rater-blind trial. Duration of treatment and assessments: 12 months. Setting Secondary care,...

Background Childhood maltreatment and difficulties in emotion regulation are common in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Depressive Disorders (DD). Objective This study examines differences between patients with BPD and patients with DD, regarding childhood maltreatment and difficulties in emotion regulation as well as the me...

Distress Tolerance Skills (DTS) are an important component of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), a therapy method frequently used for treating patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). However, little is known about how DTS-training is experienced by individuals with BPD. The aim of this study was to explore BPD patients’ experiences...

Despite the clinical importance of deep wrist injuries (DWIs), data on the timeframe of possible improvements in hand function are scarce. We tested the hypotheses that a) the length of follow-up is positively correlated with the outcome, and b) this correlation is tempered by nerve involvement. All patients admitted to the Clinic of Plastic Surger...

Imagery Rescripting (IR) is a therapeutic technique that is used in a wide spectrum of therapeutic methods for various mental disorders. As an important component of Schema Therapy (ST), IR is frequently used in the treatment of patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, little is known about how IR is experienced by individuals...

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is characterized by instability of affect, emotion dysregulation, and interpersonal dysfunction. Especially shame and guilt, so-called self-conscious emotions, are of central clinical relevance to BPD. However, only few experimental studies have focused on shame or guilt in BPD and none investigated their neuro...

Background Several studies have shown the effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) in treating different mental disorders. Most of these studies were performed in English speaking countries using the original English version of the manual. Our study aimed to examine the feasibility of the translated MCT manual in a sample of German patients wit...

Introduction: Depressive disorders are a common illness worldwide. Major depression is known as a significant predictor of the metabolic syndrome. However, the effects of depression on adipose tissue compartments are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the state of research on the relationship between patients with depression and a...

eHealth programs have been found to be effective in treating many psychological conditions. Regarding Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), few programs have been tested; nevertheless, results are promising. The therapeutic alliance is an important factor predicting treatment outcome in BPD. However, we do not know yet to what extent BPD patients...

Background Current interventions for adverse childhood experiences have only limited effectiveness. Objective We sought to identify optimal targets for the development of new interventions against adverse childhood experiences (ACE), that is, ACEs that a) are so central in the network of childhood adversity that curbing them is likely to impact ot...

Background Several studies have shown the effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) in treating different mental disorders. Most of these studies were performed in English speaking countries using the original English version of the manual. Our study aimed to examine the feasibility of the translated MCT manual in a sample of German patients wit...

Background: Several studies have shown the effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) in treating different mental disorders. Most of these studies were performed in English speaking countries using the original English version of the manual. Our study aimed to examine the feasibility of the translated MCT manual in a sample of German patients wi...

Zusammenfassung. Die Familie spielt für die körperliche und psychische Gesundheit eine wichtige Rolle. Familienbeziehungen können die Ursache psychischer Probleme sein oder psychische Probleme verstärken. Sie können aber auch eine wichtige Ressource zur Bewältigung psychischer Probleme sein. Andererseits kann eine akute oder chronische psychische B...

Der Regierungsentwurf einer Approbationsordnung für Psychotherapeutinnen und Psychotherapeuten definiert eine berufsqualifizierende Tätigkeit III. Der Text beschreibt Möglichkeiten und Schwierigkeiten der Umsetzung dieses neuen Elements im Studium Psychotherapie.

Even with guideline-conform treatment in specialized outpatient clinics and intensive treatment programs, some patients suffering from severe and enduring anorexia nervosa do not achieve a satisfying level of mental health and quality of life. As this patient group is associated with a high mortality, a palliative stage of anorexia nervosa is postu...

Objective: As suicide attempts by definition entail at least some threat to physical integrity and life, they theoretically qualify as an A1 criterion for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study uses the unique opportunity of deep wrist injuries to quantify the effect of intentionality on PTSD rates by comparing suicide attempt survivors...

Auch unter leitliniengerechter Therapie in Spezialambulanzen und Intensivprogrammen erreichen manche PatientInnenmit Anorexia nervosa kein zufriedenstellendes Ausmaß an seelischer Gesundheit und Lebensqualität. Diese Patientengruppe hat zudem eine hohe Mortalität, weswegen wir die Existenz eines Palliativstadiums der Anorexia nervosa postulieren. I...

Patientinnen mit Essstörungen sollen frühzeitig Hilfe erfahren. Dazu ist es erforderlich, dass die Störungen nicht erst dann identifiziert werden, wenn die Patientinnen selbst oder nahestehende Personen mit einem Veränderungswunsch aktiv werden oder offensichtliche Folgeschäden aufgetreten sind. Die öffentliche Verfügbarkeit valider Informationen ü...

Background: Metacognitive therapy (MCT) is a modern approach with demonstrated efficacy in current major depressive disorder (MDD). The treatment aims to modify thinking styles of rumination and worry and their underlying metacognitions, which have been shown to be involved in the initiation and perpetuation of MDD. We hypothesized that metacogniti...

Background: Despite the clinical importance of suicidal deep wrist injuries (DWIs), we currently do not know whether their injury patterns differ from accidental injuries. Methods: This retrospective study included all patients admitted to the Clinic of Plastic Surgery for acute treatment of a DWI from 2008 to 2016, except for isolated injuries to...

Background About one in five patients with depression experiences a chronic course. Despite the great burden associated with this disease, there is no current screening instrument for Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD). In the present study, we examine a short screening test, the persistent depression screener (PDS), that we developed for DSM-5 P...

Psychotherapy as a field tends toward conservativism, and the rate of innovation and development of new evidence-based effective treatments has been slow. The paper explores important barriers to innovation like the dodo bird verdict and the habit of starting the development of therapeutic methods from techniques. The paper looks at the opportuniti...

Despite its substantial clinical importance, specific genetic variants associated with depression have not yet been identified. We sought to identify genetic variants associated with depression by (a) focusing on a more homogenous subsample (vascular depression) and (b) applying a three-stage approach. First, we contacted 730 participants with a co...

Background: Major depressive Disorder (MDD) is a severe mental disorder associated with considerable disability and high costs. Over the last decades, various psychotherapies for MDD have been developed and researched, among others Behavioral Activation (BA) and Metacognitive Therapy (MCT). MCT and BA target different maintaining factors of MDD and...

Background Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe mental illness that is associated with low quality of life, low psychosocial functioning, and high societal costs. Treatments for BPD have improved in the last decades. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and Schema therapy (ST) have demonstrated efficacy in reducing BPD symptoms and costs...

Objective: Childhood maltreatment, interpersonal fear and a specific kind of interpersonal skills deficit (preoperational thinking) have all been associated with persistent depressive disorder (PDD). We hypothesize that interpersonal fears mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and preoperational thinking. Method: A total of 108 mat...

Traumatisierung oder eine Vorgeschichte von belastenden Erfahrungen in der Kindheit finden sich bei bis zu 60 % der Patienten mit einer depressiven Störung. Vermeidungsverhalten und fehlende Emotionsregulation beeinflussen dabei die interpersonellen Beziehungen der Patienten. Eine (traumabezogene) Verhaltenstherapie kann hier mit spezifischen Inter...

Introduction: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a prevalent condition that is often under-treated. This is partly because very few psychotherapists offer treatment for this disabling disorder. Internet-based self-management interventions could contribute to reducing the treatment gap but—mainly due to safety concerns—these have never been te...

1 Background Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is associated with high rates of comorbid psychiatric disorders, mostly anxiety disorders (ADs). Comorbid AD was found to be associated with poorer treatment outcome in PDD patients. The effect of comorbid AD on disorder‐specific treatment for PDD (Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychothera...

Background: Psychological problems are common in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and are associated with poor outcome. However, data on the prevalence of distinct mental disorders and their relevance to patients' functioning in daily life are scarce. Method: In this retrospective study, a total of 514 German patients with CAD as diagnos...

Antidepressive agents are one of the fastest-growing classes of prescribed drugs. However, the effects of antidepressive agents on bone density are controversial. The aim of this meta-analysis is to evaluate the state of research on the relationship between the use of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI...

Approximately 5 to 10 % of women in their reproductive years are affected by infertility. Infertility in women has been associated with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, disturbed eating behavior, autism, psychotic disorders and autism. Part of the association between depression, anxiety and infertility can be explained by the emotional stress...

Adverse childhood experiences have consistently been linked with poor mental and somatic health in adulthood. However, due to methodological restraints of the main lines of research using cumulative or selective models, little is known about the differential impact of different dimensions of adverse childhood experiences. Therefore, we gathered dat...

BACKGROUND Electronic health (eHealth) programs have been found to be effective in treating many psychological conditions. However, regarding borderline personality disorder (BPD), only a few eHealth programs have been tested, involving small interventions based on the dialectical behavior therapy treatment approach. We investigated priovi, a progr...

Background Electronic health (eHealth) programs have been found to be effective in treating many psychological conditions. However, regarding borderline personality disorder (BPD), only a few eHealth programs have been tested, involving small interventions based on the dialectical behavior therapy treatment approach. We investigated priovi, a progr...

Background Severe mental illnesses (SMIs), i.e. major depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, are associated with an elevated risk for the development of type-2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disorders. Several factors have been associated with increased cardiometabolic morbidity and mortality in SMI, including lifestyle factors (smok...

Background Comorbid mental disorders in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) are common and associated with adverse somatic outcomes. However, data on utilization rates of mental health care and treatment efficiency are scarce and inconsistent, which we tried to remedy with the present preliminary study on Northern German CAD patients. Meth...

Received: June 28, 2017 Accepted: October 19, 2017 Published online: January 06, 2018 Issue release date: January 2018

Background: Persistent depressive disorder (PDD) is associated with high rates of comorbid personality disorders (PD). The association of comorbid PD and clinical characteristics has not been systematically studied in PDD. Results regarding effects on treatment outcome are heterogeneous. Methods: We analyzed the association of comorbid personali...

Background Types of maltreatment often co-occur and it is unclear how maltreatment patterns impact on comorbidity in depressed patients. Methods We analysed associations of maltreatment patterns with a broad range of comorbidities assessed with diagnostic interviews in 311 treatment-seeking depressed outpatients. Results Latent class analyses ide...

Psychotherapy is the use of psychological methods and techniques to treat mental and physical disorders. The development of evidence-based psychotherapies is one of the key achievements of modern health care. Its further evolution is one of the important tasks for contemporary medicine and psychology. Psychotherapy is based on a complex declarative...

Zusammenfassung Patientinnen mit Essstörung haben Schwierigkeiten in der Wahrnehmung von Emotionen. Sie haben Fertigkeitendefizite in der Akzeptanz, Modifikation und beim Handeln entgegengesetzt zu emotionsgetriebenem Verhalten. Sie nutzen gestörtes Essverhalten (Nahrungsrestriktion, Essanfälle und Erbrechen), aber auch Situationsvermeidung, Dissoz...

Adaptive response of human brain to stress plays a key role in maintaining health. Knowledge about how stress affects neurometabolism may help to understand adaptive stress responses, and distinguish maladaptation in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, neurometabolic responses to fasting stress in healthy women were investigated. Fifteen hea...

Objective Reduced muscle mass is a characteristic finding in sarcopenia, the central element of physical frailty syndrome, and a major cause of physical function decay, morbidity and mortality in the elderly. Studies so far demonstrated reduced muscle mass in depressed patients with an average age over 60 years. An open question is whether muscle m...

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a severe, challenging to treat mental disorder. Schema therapy (ST) as an individual therapy has been proven to be an effective psychological treatment for BPD. A group format of ST (GST) has been developed and evaluated in a randomized controlled trial in the United States and piloted in The Netherlands. Th...

Animal studies suggest that repeated episodes of elevated glucocorticoids lead to a dysregulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) system at a supra-pituitary level, and to impaired mnemonic function. We compared cognitive tests and both, feedback integrity and stress responsivity of the HPA system, between 11 elderly, male marathon runn...

Schema therapy (ST) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) have both shown to be effective treatment methods especially for borderline personality disorder. Both, ST and DBT, have their roots in cognitive behavioral therapy and aim at helping patient to deal with emotional dysregulation. However, there are major differences in the terminology, expl...

Depression stellt eine der häufigsten psychischen Erkrankungen weltweit dar. Neben biologischen und kognitiven Faktoren spielt das interpersonelle Problemverhalten von Betroffenen eine wesentliche Rolle bei der Entstehung und Aufrechterhaltung depressiver Störungen. In diesem Beitrag werden zunächst die menschzentrierte Entwicklung eines mobilen in...

Objective: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with an estimated fourfold risk for premature death, largely attributed to cardiovascular disorders. Pericardial adipose tissue (PAT), a fat compartment surrounding the heart, has been implicated in the development of coronary artery disease. An unanswered question is whether people with chr...