EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY (CBT) ON EMOTIONAL REGULATION, IMPULSIVITY, AND INTERPERSONAL FUNCTIONING IN ADOLESCENTS WITH BORDERLINE PERSONALITY TRAITS

Abstract

This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in improving emotion regulation, impulsivity, and interpersonal functioning in 60 Pakistani adolescents (ages 13-18) with borderline personality traits based on DSM-5 diagnosis. Participants were randomly assigned into either a CBT intervention group (n=30) which received 12 weekly CBT sessions or a control group (n=30) that received supportive counseling. All participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP-32). Results showed that the intervention group demonstrated significant reductions in DERS scores (Mean Change = -23.4, t=7.85, p < .001), BIS-11 scores (Mean Change = -12.8, t=6.93, p < .001) and IIP-32 scores (Mean Change = -18.8, t=8.01, p < .001), while the control group showed no significant change on these measures. The findings support the idea that CBT is an effective treatment in improving emotional, behavioral, and interpersonal outcomes for Pakistani adolescents with borderline personality traits. This research demonstrates the need for early and culturally relevant psychological intervention for this population.