Schemas, affect consciousness, and Cluster C personality pathology: A prospective one-year follow-up study of patients in a schema-focused short-termtreatment program

In this prospective study the aim was to investigate the relationship betwe en affect consciousness and Cluster C personality pathology (DSM-IV, Axis-I I). Forty-four patients with panic disorder and/or agoraphobia and Cluster C personality traits were treated in a schema-focused program comprising a first panic/agoraphobia-focused phase and a second personality-focused phas e, being finally assessed at a one-year followup. According to the treatmen t strategy, affect consciousness was expected to change during the second p hase, independent of change in agoraphobic avoidance being focused in the f irst phase. Pretreatment level of affect consciousness during treatment was related to a reduction in avoidant personality pathology (not dependent or obsessive-compulsive) from pretreatment to follow-up, while increase in af fect consciousness did not contribute in the same way. These results indica te that affect consciousness is important as a selection criterion, as a pa rameter in treatment with focus on schemas and schema-avoidance, and as a p redictor for outcome in agoraphobic patients with avoidant personality path ology.