Dialectical behavioral therapy skills training as a social-emotional development program for teachers.

Abstract

The present study proposes the use of dialectical behavioral therapy skills training (DBT-ST) as an enhancement intervention to develop social-emotional competencies that is, as a program for promotion of teacher mental health and classroom skills in the school environment. In this study, DBT-ST was used as a form of continuing teacher education as opposed to a treatment of pathology. An evaluation was made of the effects of a brief DBT-ST intervention on the development of specific social-emotional competencies. The participants were 27 elementary schoolteachers who work in public schools located in a city in southern Brazil. Based on a mixed-methods approach, data on measures of emotion regulation difficulties, educational social skills, and intervention feasibility were collected at 3 different times: pretest, posttest, and a follow-up 2 months after the end of the intervention. The analysis of repeated measures showed improvement in the educational social ability to present, explain, and evaluate interactively. The intervention was well accepted by the teachers, and a qualitative analysis has shown positive effects. The results point to a possible contribution of dialectical behavioral therapy to school settings. However, the format of the intervention needs further adaptation and improvement for use in this context. Clinical Impact StatementThis study represents the first adaptation of dialectical behavioral therapy skills training for teachers, and the qualitative data point to a high potential of applicability of this approach to school settings.

The feasibility and promise of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training with teachers and school personnel in high‐poverty schools

“…Findings from the current study highlighted that participants, on average, attended five of the eight groups offered. These attendance rates are higher than those reported in the Justo et al, 2018 study with a sample of elementary school teachers but consistent with two additional studies using DBT‐ST with samples of caregivers in community settings (Drossel et al, 2011; Wilks et al, 2017). A closer look at attendance data suggests that for a subset of participants, this was a feasible way to receive support as 65% attended the majority of groups with relatively consistent attendance across the 8 weeks.…”

“…These models highlight the feasibility and promise of delivering DBT in schools and positively impacting students; however, the goal of the current work was to implement DBT‐ST with a nonclinical adult sample, who were particularly vulnerable to stress and could presumably benefit from an intervention to increase skills in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and tolerating distress. To date, there is one published study examining the feasibility and promise DBT‐ST with a sample of elementary teachers in Brazil (Justo et al, 2018) who attended 4 weekly 3 h groups and one follow‐up group. Teachers reported significant improvements from pre to post in social behaviors toward students ( p = .048), reductions in correcting students ( p = .031), and improvement in emotional awareness ( p = .007).…”

A Systematic Review of Evidence-Based Wellbeing Initiatives for Schoolteachers and Early Childhood Educators

“…Initiative Structure The study by Justo et al (2018) investigated an initiative grounded in cognitive behavioural theory (Dialectical Behavioural Therapy; DBT). Cognitive behavioural approaches aim to address habitual negative thought patterns and to instil positive thought patterns, improve personal functioning, mental health, and wellbeing (Trower et al, 2015).…”

“…An adaption of the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Training (DBT-ST; Linehan, 2010) manual was implemented (Justo et al, 2018) to investigate initiative impacts on educator wellbeing. The DBT-ST manual is comprised of four modules which aim to promote educators' (1) mindfulness, (2) distress tolerance, (3) emotional control, and (4) interpersonal functioning (Linehan, 2010).…”

“…The DBT-ST initiative was delivered by a psychologist who had completed accredited training. The DBT-ST initiative comprised four weekly sessions of approximately 3 h length, and a final follow-up session conducted two months afterward (Justo et al, 2018). Wellbeing Justo et al (2018) found that educators' wellbeing deteriorated, reporting an increase in negative emotions and a reduction in emotional awareness, after participating in the DBT-ST initiative.…”