title: Dialectical behavior therapy adapted for suicidal adolescents.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Long Island University, Brookville, NY 11548, USA. jill.rathus@liu.edu
authors.forename: Jill H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Rathus
authors.forename: Alec L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*