Australasian dialectical behaviour therapy pilot outcome study: effectiveness, utility and feasibility.
OBJECTIVE
This paper aims to describe the outcome of 10 patients treated in a New Zealand pilot study of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for people with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and to ascertain the clinical utility and feasibility of implementing DBT into a standard New Zealand public mental health service.


METHODS
Patients had a clinical and an International Personality Disorder Examination diagnosis of BPD and received 6 months of standard DBT treatment. Rating scales used were the Millon Clinical Muliaxial Inventory, 3rd edition (MCMI-III) and the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R), which were completed pre treatment and post treatment. Pre-post treatment data were completed on inpatient resource usage. Qualitative patient interviews were conducted post treatment.


RESULTS
There were statistically significant improvements in functioning on 10 of the 24 MCMI-III subscales (p < 0.03 to p < 0.0008), including notably the borderline personality subscale (p < 0.01) and the anxiety (p < 0.05) and depression (p < 0.001) subscales. There was a statistically significant improvement on the Global Severity Index of the SCL-90-R (p < 0.001) and on 10 of the 12 SCL-90-R scales (p < 0.05 to p < 0.001). The hospital bed days used decreased from 0.57 days per patient per month to 0.2 days per patient per month.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results document the clinical effectiveness of DBT. Dialectical behaviour therapy has practical and clinical utility of relevance to Australasian public mental health services. A DBT service can be successfully implemented within existing public mental health services.
Brassington
Jan
J
Waikato District Health Board; and Clinical Psychologist, Private Practice, Hamilton, New Zealand.
Krawitz
Roy
R
D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003710:Demography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009520:New Zealand; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000592:standards*; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services