ERT for BPD

STEPPS (Systems Training of Emotional Predictability and Problem Solving) has been shown to be effective in adults with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Emotion Regulation Training (ERT) is a simplified variation of the STEPPS programme which can be used in group therapy work with adolescents. It focuses on helping teenagers know themselves better, manage their emotions and improve their problem-solving skills. It involves 17 weekly sessions and two booster sessions 6 and 12 weeks after the main sessions have finished. A team of Ducth researchers studied the effectiveness of ERT, comparing 23 teenagers who had been given the treatment with 20 who had received treatment as usual. Both groups showed equal reductions in BPD symptoms over the course of the study but the ERT group had a significant increase in feeling that they were in control of their lives. The ERT participants also reported more sense of control over their mood swings.

Schuppert, H. Marieke ... [et al] - Effectiveness of an emotion regulation group training for adolescents: a randomized controlled pilot study Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy November-December 2009, 16(6), 467-478