The Experience of Mentalization-Based Treatment: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study

Abstract

The construct of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) as an explanation of an individual's experience is generally accepted in the literature but has recently been called into question. This study adopted a qualitative stance to offer an alternative to this accepted view. Six individuals undergoing Mentalization Based Treatment (MBT) participated and their data was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Themes interpreted from the data provided a sense that although MBT helped participants, they did not feel cured.