Adolescents in acute mental health crisis—Pilot-evaluation of a low-threshold program for emotional stabilization

Abstract

BackgroundReferrals for child and adolescent acute psychiatric treatment have spiked in the last two years. To provide these adolescents with a fast-acting intervention, a novel treatment approach for acute emotional dysregulation was evaluated in this study.Methods156 adolescents between the age of 13 and 18 years who were admitted to a psychiatric unit for acute emotional or behavioral dysregulation participated in a 5-week-group program (Stress-Arousal- Regulation-Treatment, START) which consisted of two sessions per week (60 min/session). Pre- and post intervention psychometric measures were derived for each participant applying the Self-Control Scale (SCS-13), the FEEL-KJ capturing adaptive and maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), as well as the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).ResultsThe mean score of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies of the FEEL-KJ significantly decreased post treatment (d = −0.24, p = .001), while there was an increase in adaptive emotion regulation strategies (d = 0.25, p = .001). The post- intervention-assessment revealed significantly lower scores in the PSS-10 (d = −0.34, p < 0.001), as well as SDQ mental health problems (d = −0.17, p = .018) and disorders (d = −0.15, p = .015). The Self-Control Score increased significantly after the intervention (d = 0.21, p = .001).ConclusionsIn this large sample, the low-threshold intervention START significantly improved emotion regulation and self-control and reduced perceived stress as well as several scales of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, pointing to a good feasibility and indicating efficiency to provide support to adolescents with acute mental health problems when applying this short-term treatment.

Effects of a Standardized DBT—A Program on Identity Development in Adolescents

“…This could validate the needs of the adolescents as well as develop and offer customized therapy approaches regarding the necessary complexity and flexibility of the treatment (e.g., change between treatment settings-outpatient, partial inpatient, and online therapy modules). In particular, low-threshold therapy programs [2,14,45,[48][49][50] promise to become important early and preventive interventions to counteract a chronification of impairment in disorders such as BPD, or PTSD [4] and other emotion regulation disorders.…”