Adolescent inpatient completers of dialectical behaviour therapy

Abstract

Purpose Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) aims to reduce emotional dysregulation and engagement in less adaptive behaviours for adults with mixed disorders of conduct and emotions (MDCE). However, there is limited evidence available for the effectiveness of DBT skills training for adolescents with MDCE who are resident within a secure impatient setting. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A retrospective study investigated changes in aggressive and self-injurious behaviours in 22 adolescents within a secure inpatient mental health setting with MDCE who had completed one cycle of DBT skills training. Changes in symptomatic problems, behavioural and social impairment were also investigated in 17 of the 22 participants who completed the DBT skills training cycle. Findings There were statistically significant decreases in the frequencies of engagement in total aggressive and deliberate self-harm behaviours after the DBT skills training cycle. There was a significant improvement in symptomatic and behavioural impairment, but not in social impairment. Practical implications The findings of this study suggest that DBT skills training may be beneficial for behavioural and symptomatic outcomes in adolescent inpatients with MDCE. Originality/value This study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of DBT skills training for adolescents with MDCE within a secure inpatient setting. Additional studies are required to investigate the clinical benefits of specific aspects of DBT for individual patients.

Non‐restrictive interventions to reduce self‐harm amongst children in mental health inpatient settings: Systematic review and narrative synthesis

“… 2004 ), the UK (Hancock‐Johnson et al . 2019 ; Reen et al . 2020 ), and the USA (Loveridge 2013 ; McDonell et al .…”

“…Although all studies were conducted in CAMHS inpatient units, there was some variation in the terminology used to describe these settings, with some units described as ‘low secure’ (Hancock‐Johnson et al . 2019 ), ‘long‐term’ (McDonell et al . 2010 ), or ‘co‐educational, acute’ (Tebbett‐Mock et al .…”

“…Additionally, Hancock‐Johnson et al . ( 2019 ) used the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA; Gowers et al . 1999 ) to collect information about pre‐ and post‐intervention rates of self‐harm.…”

“…Three studies reported that DBT‐based interventions led to significant reductions in rates of self‐harm (Hancock‐Johnson et al . 2019 ; McDonell et al . 2010 ; Tebbett‐Mock et al .…”

Analysis of the emotional vocabulary in a sample of secondary education students

“…Furthermore, the presence of learning problems in childhood correlates with emotional and behavioral problems in adolescence (Stevenson, 2018). In another study carried out with an adolescent population that presented a specific language disorder, this correlated with the presence of emotional and behavioral problems (Wadman et al, 2011;Hancock-Johnson, Staniforth, Pomroy & Breen, 2019). Therefore, it is essential to acquire an elaborated and extensive emotional vocabulary to be able to describe accurately which emotions are being experienced, and then be able to adapt to the environment more efficiently (Chaplin & Aldao, 2013).…”