Dialectical Behavior Therapy Adapted for Suicidal Adolescents

TLDR

The study investigates an adapted Dialectical Behavior Therapy program for suicidal adolescents with borderline personality features. Participants received 12 weeks of twice‑weekly DBT comprising individual therapy and multifamily skills training, compared to a 12‑week supportive‑psychodynamic individual therapy plus weekly family therapy control. DBT led to fewer psychiatric hospitalizations, higher treatment completion, and significant reductions in suicidal ideation, general psychiatric symptoms, and borderline personality symptoms, though suicide attempt rates did not differ from control.

Abstract

We report a quasi-experimental investigation of an adaptation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with a group of suicidal adolescents with borderline personality features. The DBT group (n = 29) received 12 weeks of twice weekly therapy consisting of individual therapy and a multifamily skills training group. The treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 82) received 12 weeks of twice weekly supportive-psychodynamic individual therapy plus weekly family therapy. Despite more severe pre-treatment symptomatology in the DBT group, at post-treatment this group had significantly fewer psychiatric hospitalizations during treatment, and a significantly higher rate of treatment completion than the TAU group. There were no significant differences in the number of suicide attempts made during treatment. Examining pre-post change within the DBT group, there were significant reductions in suicidal ideation, general psychiatric symptoms, and symptoms of borderline personality. DBT appears to be a promising treatment for suicidal adolescents with borderline personality characteristics.