Dialectical behaviour therapy ‘Skills for Living’ for young people leaving care: A qualitative exploration of participants’ experiences

It is acknowledged that care leavers experience an accelerated transition into adulthood, despite often having complex psychosocial needs with limited support networks. The ‘Skills for Living’ programme was designed to improve the psychological wellbeing of care leavers and offers an adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills group as its primary intervention. This paper provides a qualitative evaluation of the programme. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 10 participants, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis ( Braun & Clarke, 2006 ). Four key themes emerged: ‘Initial Apprehension and Reluctance to Participate’, ‘Connection, Understanding and Validation’, ‘Confidence with Social Skills’, and ‘Emotional Acceptance and Self-Soothing’. Clinical implications and recommendations are discussed.

Implementation of brief dialectical behavior therapy skills training among borderline personality disorder patients in Malaysia: feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes

Aim/background Even though dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has received substantial empirical support in treating patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), fewer studies have evaluated whether a brief DBT skills group may be effective in improving clinical outcomes in this population. Further, less is known regarding the feasibility and outcomes of DBT beyond Euro-American contexts. This paper describes outcomes from a pilot study examining the feasibility, acceptability, and clinical outcomes following completion of a shortened, 14-week DBT skills group in a sample of Muslim-majority BPD patients in Malaysia. Methods Twenty patients were recruited from a public hospital and attended DBT skills groups in an outpatient clinic. Participants completed measures assessing psychological symptoms, self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, emotion regulation difficulties, self-compassion, and well-being pre- and post-intervention. Results There were significant reductions in depressive symptoms, stress, and emotion regulation difficulties, as well as increases in self-compassion and well-being from pre- to post-intervention. A trend was found for decreases in frequency and types of non-suicidal self-harm behaviors, suicidal ideation, and anxiety symptoms. Qualitative content analyses of participants’ feedback indicated that the vast majority of participants perceived a positive impact from the skills group, with mindfulness and distress tolerance being rated frequently as skills that were beneficial. Conclusion These preliminary findings suggest that DBT skills training is feasible and acceptable in a Muslim-majority, low resource clinical setting, and holds promise in improving clinical outcomes among BPD patients in Malaysia.

The effectiveness of a short-term DBT skills group in a ‘real-world’ clinical setting

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a short-term outpatient DBT (DBT-S) skills group for individuals experiencing pervasive emotion dysregulation (PED). Method: Pre-and post-group outcome data consisted of self-report measures and six-month Mental Health admissions and Emergency Department presentations. Results: Group completers reported significant improvements in psychological distress, depression, borderline symptomatology and functional impairment, increases in ‘skills use’ and decreases in ‘dysfunctional coping’, associated with symptomatic improvement. There were reduced numbers of Mental Health presentations and admissions between six months pre- and post-group. Conclusion: Findings support emerging evidence for DBT-S as an effective, viable treatment for PED.

"Students with Academic Difficulties: Benefits of a Study Skills Group Compared to an Emotional Skills Group"

"Students can encounter difficulties in their academic careers, regarding their studying skills, for instance, or experiencing negative emotions. Both are amenable to training and related to one another. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of two interventions focusing on studying skills or emotional skills. Two groups of students with academic difficulties participated: 30 worked on study-related aspects (Study skills group); and the other 30 attended lessons on emotions in everyday life (Emotional skills group). They were tested before and after the training on measures of their motivation to learn, self–regulated learning strategies, and emotions (positive and negative emotions). The results showed that both groups benefited from the training. The Study skills group improved specifically in incremental theory of intelligence (d=0.94, p<0.001), self–regulated learning strategies (organization: d=0.74, p<0.001; elaboration: d=0.58, p<0.001; preparing for exams: d=0.78, p<0.001, specific effects), and more positive emotions about their academic performance (d=0.64, p<0.001, transfer effect). The Emotional skills group showed smaller effects on study-related aspects (0.10≤d≤0.49), with a large effect on negative emotions about the self (d=– .87). These results offer insight on how to approach students’ academic difficulties."

E-Learning as a basis for the development of media competences in students

The study describes the structure of media literacy and its key aspects: digital literacy, content interpretation, content generation and digital awareness. The results of the survey at the end of the training course confirmed the effectiveness of educational practices on digital media platforms in developing media competencies. According to self-assessment results, learning activities have improved digital skills. The study made it possible to determine the key success factors for the development and consolidation of modern media competencies in the context of online learning. The involvement of each student in the generation of educational content has formed the teaching tactics for the stable development of target media competencies and skills. Group interactions of students associated with the course met student demand for socialisation and contributed to educational progress. It was concluded that media literacy is the result of well-planned and well-organised practical activities of students in the digital media space.

Effects of a modified DBT Skills Group for military personnel and Veterans with OSIs and borderline personality disorder or traits

LAY SUMMARY This study looked at the use of a group treatment known as dialectical behaviour therapy skills group (DBT-SG) to see if it was helpful for military personnel and veterans who had a variety of mental health disorders related to their service. The results of the study showed improvements in symptoms of borderline personality disorder, reductions in negative thoughts and feelings, and reductions in unhelpful behaviours. Results also showed improvements in all examined areas of functioning among participants, with the largest change occurring in the area of social functioning. The presence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or chronic pain did not impact results, but the presence of a substance abuse disorder did. Overall, the results provide preliminary support for DBT-SG as an intervention for borderline personality disorder symptoms among military and veterans, and perhaps particularly for persons who also have other mental health challenges, or persons considered inappropriate for other treatment.

Implementing a Mind-Body Skills Group in Psychiatric Residency Training

Objective The burnout crisis in healthcare has led to interventions promoting resiliency and wellness among residents. One such intervention is a 10-week Mind-Body Skills Group including didactics and experiential exercises, self-expression, and small-group support. A Mind-Body Skills Group for residents and fellows in the University of Arizona-Tucson Department of Psychiatry aimed to teach skills for self-care and patient care. Methods In 2018–2020, 50 University of Arizona-Tucson psychiatric residents and fellows participated in Mind-Body Skills Groups. After finishing the course, 44 participants completed a survey about satisfaction with the course and its content, comfort sharing experiences with the group, use of mind-body skills for participants’ own self-care and wellness, use of these skills with patients, and likelihood of recommending the Mind-Body Skills Group to colleagues. Results Eighty-four percent of survey respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the Mind-Body Skills Group. Eighty percent used skills learned in the course for their own self-care and 61% used the skills with patients on at least a weekly basis. Eighty-nine percent indicated they were likely or very likely to use mind-body skills with patients in the future. Ninety-five percent of respondents felt safe sharing personal feelings and experiences in the group, and 95% would strongly recommend or likely recommend the course to colleagues. Results for in-person and online groups were not significantly different. Conclusions A 10-week Mind-Body Skills Group during psychiatric residency was well received by participants. The course influenced personal health behaviors, which may bolster resiliency and reduce risk for burnout.

Implementation of a Brief Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) Skills Group in High Schools for At-Risk Youth: Going 4 Goals Protocol (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Adolescence is a developmental period marked by engaging in risk-taking behaviors, with higher risk among youth who are impulsive or emotionally dysregulated. Thus, interventions that teach skills to reduce the risk for negative outcomes as a consequence of dysregulation are needed. Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) programs have been developed to address both adolescent emotion dysregulation and risk-taking behaviors. However, current programs have mostly been implemented among younger youth and have rarely been empirically evaluated for their effectiveness among high school students. OBJECTIVE The primary outcomes of the study are to test whether participating in the skills group intervention produces significant increases in the core DBT-A skills of mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness while also producing significant decreases in substance use and risky behaviors. These primary outcomes are based on changes in participant scores between baseline and post-intervention, as well as follow-ups at 1, 3, and 6 months in comparison to a control group of youth who are participating in the school’s health curriculum at the same time points. A secondary objective of this study is to also examine the acceptability, facilitators and barriers of the intervention through qualitative interviews with intervention participants and school staff. The current paper describes the protocol of the 9 session school-based adaptation of the DBT-A intervention and discussion of the strengths and limitations of the study, as well as future directions. METHODS N/A RESULTS N/A CONCLUSIONS N/A

Effectiveness of Social Skills Training Groups in Persons with Severe Mental Illness: A Pre–Post Intervention Study

Background: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a social skills training program provided at the occupational therapy unit of a tertiary care center in India. Methods: The study used a pre–post interventional design where 101 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder, between 18 and 60 years, who provided written informed consent, were assessed on the Vellore Assessment of Social Performance (VASP) during the first week of attendance (baseline). Subsequently, they were enrolled in a six-session social skills group training program for two weeks. They were assessed on the VASP after one week (midterm assessment) and at the end (posttest) of the intervention. A follow-up assessment was done two weeks after cessation of the intervention. The participants were also scored on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) at four time points. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences in the VASP scores between time points, that is, F(baseline, midterm) = −4.34 and P = 0.001; F (baseline, postgroup) = −6.92 and P = 0.001; and F (baseline, follow-up) = −8.71 and P = 0.001. The correlation between the BPRS and VASP scores was also significant at each time point. Conclusion: The social skills group training protocol seems to be effective and feasible for the Indian population. Since conducting multicenter clinical trials might not always be possible in resource-constrained settings, this study might be considered preliminary evidence for context-specific, peer-/family-supported social skills training.