Background:
The published evidence supports dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) efficacy to treat patients with borderline personality disorder and particular emphasis on emotion dysregulation as a psychopathological construct.
Aim:
To assess the efficacy of DBT for improving emotion dysregulation among patients with a dual diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and substance use disorder.
Methods:
We recruited 40 patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for borderline personality disorder and substance use disorder and assigned them to two groups of 20 participants each. One group underwent DBT therapy, and the other group followed a treatment-as-usual (TAU) protocol over one year. We used the difficulties in emotion regulation scale (DERS) scores at baseline, immediately after therapy, and four months after treatment to assess emotion dysregulation.
Results:
We found significant improvements (p<0.05) in the DBT group after therapy that was maintained at least for four months afterward based on the DERS scores (including subscale scores). More patients dropped out of the treatment in the TAU group than in the DBT group.
Conclusion:
DBT is a potentially effective psychological intervention to treat emotion dysregulation in patients with borderline personality disorder and substance use disorder.