Development of DBT/Parent Training Group Intervention

Development of DBT/Parent Training Group Intervention

This treatment development study is aimed at developing and pilot testing a 24-week remotely delivered group intervention that integrates three evidence-based treatments: 1) Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills - targeting adult emotion dysregulation, 2) Parent Management Training (PMT) - targeting parenting behaviors linked to child behavioral dysregulation, and 3) Emotion Coaching (EC) - targeting parental emotion socialization practices linked to child emotion dysregulation.

The aims of the study are to:

1. Evaluate the feasibility of the intervention, specifically with respect to its acceptability and its implementation with 4 families in which a parent has elevated levels of emotion dysregulation and their child has elevated levels of emotion or behavioral dysregulation.
2. Examine change patterns in parent and child mental health and parenting quality using a Single Case Experimental Design (SCED) to evaluate both pre-post and weekly changes in these outcomes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• parent must be 18+ years of age
• parent must have at least partial custody of a 3-6 year old child
• neither parent nor child may have any known developmental disability
• parent must be proficient in English
• parent must endorse elevated emotion dysregulation and report their child meets a cutoff for emotional and/or behavioral difficulties.
• parent must have access to the internet and Zoom software

Exclusion Criteria:

• parent with developmental disability
• psychotic disorder
• actively suicidal with an active plan