title: A randomized trial of brief dialectical behaviour therapy skills training in suicidal patients suffering from borderline disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence-based therapies for borderline personality disorder (BPD) are lengthy and scarce. Data on brief interventions are limited, and their role in the treatment of BPD is unclear. Our aim was therefore to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of brief dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) skills training as an adjunctive intervention for high suicide risk in patients with BPD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four out-patients were randomized to 20 weeks of DBT skills (n = 42) or a waitlist (WL; n = 42). The primary outcome was frequency of suicidal or non-suicidal self-injurious (NSSI) episodes. Assessments were conducted at baseline 10, 20 and 32 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DBT participants showed greater reductions than the WL participants on suicidal and NSSI behaviours between baseline and 32 weeks (P < 0.0001). DBT participants showed greater improvements than controls on measures of anger, distress tolerance and emotion regulation at 32 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This abbreviated intervention is a viable option that may be a useful adjunctive intervention for the treatment of high-risk behaviour associated with the acute phase of BPD.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Shelley F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: McMain
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Guimond
authors.affiliation: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.|York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barnhart
authors.affiliation: Royal Alexandra Hospital, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: Liat
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Habinski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Streiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D001883:Borderline Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: personality disorder; psychotherapy; randomized controlled trial; self-harm; suicide