Schema therapy with older adults: call for evidence

Although there is a considerable body of evidence supporting the efficacy of psychotherapy for personality disorders (PD), as yet, effect studies focusing on treatment of PD in older adults are lacking. In a literature search (1980–2011) with Pubmed Medline and PsycINFO with the terms “personality disorders,” “psychotherapy,” “treatment,” “elderly,” and “older adults,” it appeared that no randomized and controlled effect studies have been conducted on the treatment of PD in later life. Just one study examined the efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in a small randomized clinical trial among older people with comorbid depression and PD ( N = 35; Lynch et al ., 2007). However, it is surprising that the number of PD in remission (in total 16 out of 35) was almost the same with medication treatment alone ( n = 7) compared to combined treatment of medication and DBT ( n = 9). Moreover, this study was not exclusively focused on the treatment of PD.