title: Dialectical behavior therapy skills for transdiagnostic emotion dysregulation: a pilot randomized controlled trial.
abstract: Difficulties with emotions are common across mood and anxiety disorders. Dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) reduces emotion dysregulation in borderline personality disorder (BPD). Preliminary evidence suggests that use of DBT skills mediates changes seen in BPD treatments. Therefore, we assessed DBT-ST as a stand-alone, transdiagnostic treatment for emotion dysregulation and DBT skills use as a mediator of outcome. Forty-four anxious and/or depressed, non-BPD adults with high emotion dysregulation were randomized to 16 weeks of either DBT-ST or an activities-based support group (ASG). Participants completed measures of emotion dysregulation, DBT skills use, and psychopathology every 2 months through 2 months posttreatment. Longitudinal analyses indicated that DBT-ST was superior to ASG in decreasing emotion dysregulation (d = 1.86), increasing skills use (d = 1.02), and decreasing anxiety (d = 1.37) but not depression (d = 0.73). Skills use mediated these differential changes. Participants found DBT-ST acceptable. Thirty-two percent of DBT-ST and 59% of ASG participants dropped treatment. Fifty-nine percent of DBT-ST and 50% of ASG participants complied with the research protocol of avoiding ancillary psychotherapy and/or medication changes. In summary, DBT-ST is a promising treatment for emotion dysregulation for depressed and anxious transdiagnostic adults, although more assessment of feasibility is needed.
authors: Cognitive-Behavioral Research and Therapy Program, Duke University Medical Center (3026), 2213 Elba Street, Room 123, Durham, NC 27710, USA; University of Washington, USA. Electronic address: andrada.neacsiu@duke.edu.
authors: Andrada D
authors: AD
authors: Neacsiu
authors: University of Washington, USA.
authors: Jeremy W
authors: JW
authors: Eberle
authors: University of Washington, USA.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Kramer
authors: University of Washington, USA.
authors: Taylor
authors: T
authors: Wiesmann
authors: University of Washington, USA.
authors: Marsha M
authors: MM
authors: Linehan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; Depression; Dialectical behavior therapy; Emotion dysregulation; Transdiagnostic