Effectiveness of Transference-Focused Psychotherapy in Treating Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder: A Rapid Review

The purpose of this rapid review was to investigate the effectiveness of transference-focused psychotherapy (TFP) in treating people with borderline personality disorder. This research was carried out considering the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guideline and recommendations of the Cochrane Review Groups. A total of 240 articles were assessed, of which 119 duplicates were initially excluded. Subsequently, 101 articles were removed after "title screening" and "abstract screening." Finally, the remaining 20 articles were evaluated using the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement checklist and Jadad Scale, leading to the inclusion of 13 articles in the final analysis. Most of the selected articles were randomized clinical trials. There were no male participants in five articles, and most participants were female in other articles (except for one case). The duration of treatment was 1 year in most of the articles (total range: 11-36 months), with the treatment being performed twice a week in most cases. The review showed that TFP was effective in various domains such as object relations, treatment, psychodynamics, neurology, psychopathology, and other psychological variables. Therefore, it is concluded that TFP can be used efficiently in the treatment of people with borderline personality disorder. Public Significance Statement This rapid review investigates the effectiveness of transference-focused psychotherapy in treating patients with borderline personality disorder can help psychotherapists improve their services quality to this group of patients.