PhD Scientific Days 2026

Mental Health Sciences 1.

Mindfulness-Related Psychological Processes and a Brief MBCT-Based Group Intervention in Borderline Personality Disorder with Active Non-Suicidal Self-Injury

Name of the presenter

Kresznerits, Szilvia

Institute/workplace of the presenter

Semmelweis University, PPK, Department of Clinical Psyhology

Authors

Szilvia Kresznerits¹, Ágnes Zinner-Gérecz¹, Dóra Perczel-Forintos¹
1: Semmelweis University, PPK, Department of Clinical Psyhology

Text of the abstract

Introduction: Borderline personality disorder (BPD) with active non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is associated with high clinical burden and limited access to brief, structured interventions. Mindfulness-related processes may represent modifiable targets in the management of NSSI.
Aims: We examined which mindfulness-related psychological processes are relevant to the modification of NSSI in BPD, and whether these processes show preliminary change following a brief, NSSI-focused MBCT programme in outpatient care.
Methods: A cross-sectional study examined associations between mindfulness skills, NSSI severity indicators, and relevant psychological variables in an outpatient BPD sample. A nonrandomised within-subject pre–post pilot study with a waiting-period comparison evaluated the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a 9-week MBCT-NSSI programme. Outcomes included mindfulness, self-compassion, self-esteem, depression, hopelessness, impulsivity, dissociation, cognitive emotion regulation, and NSSI frequency; while dropout predictors included selected baseline characteristics.
Results: Higher mindfulness, especially acting with awareness, nonjudging, and nonreactivity, was associated with higher self-esteem and self-compassion, more adaptive and fewer maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, and lower depression, hopelessness, impulsivity, and dissociation. NSSI frequency showed no robust bivariate associations with the examined variables, although multivariable analyses suggested roles for impulsivity, self-compassion, and aspects of emotion regulation. In the pilot intervention study, the active treatment phase was associated with improvements in mindfulness, self-compassion, self-esteem, and reductions in depression, hopelessness, impulsivity, and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies. NSSI frequency decreased from baseline to post-intervention, although phase-specific interpretation was limited by design. Dropout was associated with higher impulsivity, maladaptive emotion regulation, higher self-compassion, and lower comorbidity.
Conclusion: Mindfulness-related psychological processes appear clinically relevant and at least partly modifiable targets in BPD with active NSSI. A brief MBCT-NSSI programme may be a promising adjunct option in outpatient care, warranting further controlled investigation.
Funding: Supported by TKP/2021