Use of dialectical behavior therapy skills training for borderline personality disorder in a naturalistic setting
Abstract
This nonrandomized, naturalistic study describes a modified outpatient dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) program for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in which some patients receive the comprehensive, empirically supported DBT package and others receive DBT skills group therapy with non-DBT individual therapy. Patients who completed one skills group cycle showed significant improvements in BPD, depression, and suicidal ideation as measured by the Personality Assessment Inventory. Fifty-one percent of patients dropped out of skills group, but patients with in-system individual therapy were significantly more likely to complete group therapy. Although causal conclusions cannot be drawn, this report demonstrates that a modified DBT program can be implemented successfully in settings in which a full DBT package for all patients may not be feasible and suggests that BPD patients receiving non-DBT individual therapy may benefit from DBT skills group.
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Distress tolerance skills training has been found to be beneficial in Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
“Distress tolerance skills training has been found to be beneficial in Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).”
From Brief psychological intervention for distress tolerance in an adult secondary care community mental health service: an evaluation (2020) · cites this paper as Harley, Baity, Blais & Jacobo, 2007
DBT skills training has not been manualised and delivered as a trans-diagnostic BPI in previous studies within a real-world secondary care mental health setting.
“Although several studies have identified DBT skills training as useful for EUPD and PTSD (e.g. Harley, Baity, Blais & Jacobo, 2007; Bradley & Follingstad, 2003), this has not been manualised and delivered as a trans-diagnostic BPI in previous studies within a real-world secondary care mental health setting.”
From Brief psychological intervention for distress tolerance in an adult secondary care community mental health service: an evaluation (2020) · cites this paper as Harley, Baity, Blais & Jacobo, 2007
A naturalistic study found that patients completing one DBT skills group cycle lasting 24 weeks showed significant improvements in BPD symptoms, depression, and suicidal ideation.
“A naturalistic study found that patients completing one DBT skills group cycle (lasting 24 weeks) showed significant improvements in BPD symptoms, depression, and suicidal ideation [18].”
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- Authors
- Harley, R. M., Baity, M. R., Blais, M. A., & Jacobo, M. C.
- Affiliations
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Corresponding author
- Harley, Rebecca M.
- ORCID
- Blais, Mark A.
- Venue
- Psychotherapy Research
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2007-05
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 351-358
- ISSN
- 1050-3307 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-4381
- OpenAlex
- W1981517653
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 3.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychotherapy Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Bipolar Disorder and Treatment
- Keywords
- dialectical behavior therapy, borderline personality disorder, DBT skills training, individual psychotherapy, outpatient care, treatment discontinuation, depression, suicidal ideation
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