A true effectiveness study of comprehensive dialectical behavior therapy

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is considered the premier treatment for chronic suicidality, non-suicidal self-injury, and borderline personality disorder (BPD). Despite extensive research through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) confirming DBT's efficacy, there's a significant gap in studies on its effectiveness in everyday clinical settings. This study evaluated DBT's real-world effectiveness with diverse patient populations to bridge the gap between controlled clinical research and practical application, focusing on crisis service use, parasuicidal behaviors, and other high-risk behaviors associated with emotional regulation issues. Additionally, changes in BPD symptoms, depression, and emotional regulation deficits were assessed. Another objective was to understand the motivations behind parasuicidal behaviors. Participation in the DBT program significantly reduced crisis service use, parasuicidal behaviors, and other high-risk behaviors. Parasuicidal behaviors were mainly employed to regulate emotions. The study did not show significant changes in BPD symptoms, depression, or emotional regulation deficits. Symptoms are more stable and take longer to change than behavioral improvements. Most participants completed only 10 to 30 weeks of treatment, likely remaining in stage one of DBT, which focuses on behavioral control. They had not yet addressed emotional experiencing and improving happiness, which could explain the findings. Data analysis involved both parametric and non-parametric statistics to identify significant patterns. The results highlight the practical benefits of DBT in reducing crisis service utilization, parasuicidality, and high-risk behaviors in community settings, suggesting its effectiveness beyond controlled clinical environments. The lack of significant changes in BPD symptoms, depression, and emotional regulation deficits calls for further research to explore the underlying mechanisms.

Author

• Pena, Marta

Identifier

hdl:10057/28208

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:soar.wichita.edu:10057/28208