Volume 8, Issue 1 (3-2026)                   sjmshm 2026, 8(1): 16-23 | Back to browse issues page

‎ 10.47176/sjmshm.8.1.16

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Sheydaei F, Iranmanesh S, Qafourinasab J, Hokmabadi M E, Sorkh kaman badkhor A. The Efficacy of Systemic Family Therapy in Reducing Internalizing and Externalizing Behavioral Problems and Improving Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Adolescents with a Parent Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. sjmshm 2026; 8 (1) :16-23
URL: http://sjmshm.srpub.org/article-3-253-en.html
The Efficacy of Systemic Family Therapy in Reducing Internalizing and Externalizing Behavioral Problems and Improving Emotion Regulation Difficulties in Adolescents with a Parent Diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder
Fatemeh Sheydaei *1 , Saleheh Iranmanesh2 , Javad Qafourinasab3 , Mohamad Ebrahim Hokmabadi4 , Alireza Sorkh kaman badkhor5
1- Psychology Department, Ney.c, Islamic azad university, Neyshabour, Iran , sheyda.7629@gmail.com
2- PhD Student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad Iran
3- Scientific Research Publishing House (SRPH), Shirvan, Iran
4- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
5- M.A in Family Counseling, Department of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Humanistic Sciences, Bojnord University, Bojnord, Iran
Abstract:   (44 Views)
This study investigated the efficacy of systemic family therapy in reducing internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems and improving emotion regulation difficulties in adolescents with a parent diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). A quasi-experimental, pre-test/post-test design with a control group and a two-month follow-up was utilized. Fourteen adolescents (aged 12–15) in Mashhad (2025) were randomly assigned to either the experimental (n=7) or control (n=7) group. The experimental group received ten 90-minute sessions of systemic family therapy, while the control group received no intervention. Assessment tools included the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Phillips and Power Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (2007). Data were analyzed using Repeated Measures ANOVA. The experimental group showed significant reductions in externalizing problems (F=37.85, p<0.001, η_p^2=0.759), internalizing problems (F=35.11, p<0.001, η_p^2=0.745), and emotion regulation difficulties (F=48.36, p<0.001, η_p^2=0.801) compared to the control group. These therapeutic gains remained stable at the two-month follow-up. Systemic family therapy is an effective intervention for modifying dysfunctional interactional cycles and improving emotional functioning in adolescents exposed to parental BPD pathology.
Keywords: Systemic Family Therapy, Borderline Personality Disorder, Emotion Regulation, Behavioral Problems, Adolescents
Full-Text [PDF 337 kb]   (17 Downloads)    
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Psychiatry and Mental Health
Received: 2025/11/14 | Revised: 2025/12/26 | Accepted: 2026/02/24 | Published: 2026/03/29
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