Feasibility of Emotion Regulation Group Therapy for Adolescent Self-Harm

Can a Brief Emotion Regulation Group Therapy Help Adolescents With Deliberate Self-Harm? A Feasibility Study and a Qualitative Interview Study

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a prevalent behaviour among adolescents but there is no current recommendation for an efficacious treatment. Emotion regulation group therapy (ERGT) is a brief treatment for DSH with a well-documented utility and feasibility in the adult population, and an adapted version for adolescents may provide equal benefits for adolescents, provided adjustments to prevent or decrease social contagion are present.

A quantitative feasibility open trial (N=20) followed up by a qualitative interview study will examine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effect of ERGT for adolescents.

Deliberate self-harm (DSH) is a prevalent behaviour among adolescents but there is no current recommendation for an efficacious treatment. Emotion regulation group therapy (ERGT) is a brief treatment for DSH with a well-documented utility and feasibility in the adult population, and an adapted version for adolescents may provide equal benefits for adolescents, provided adjustments to prevent or decrease social contagion are present. Adaptations to ERGT will result in a 12 session long treatment for adolescents Emotion regulation group therapy for Adolescents (ERGT-A). A parallel parent group focused on strengthening parental skills will be given alongside ERGT-A (5 sessions)

Method: A quantitative feasibility open trial (N=20) with pre, post and 1 month follow-up assessments will examine the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effect of ERGT for adolescents.

Feasibility measures include recruitment rate, proportion beginning treatment, attrition, treatment credibility and satisfaction, negative effects, and alliance.

Preliminary effects measures include DSH, emotion regulation ability, anxiety and depression.

Method: A qualitative interview study. Using thematic analysis to explore participants' experience of ERGT-A and parent group

Inclusion Criteria:

1. 13-17 years of age;
2. having engaged in deliberate self-harm (DSH)-behaviours ≥ 5 times the last year;
3. having engaged in ≥1 DSH episode during the past month;
4. having ongoing psychiatric treatment in the community;
5. having at least one caregiver or other significant adult, committed to participate in the parent program; and
6. stability of psychotropic medications

Exclusion Criteria:

1. a diagnosis of psychotic, bipolar I disorder or severe social anxiety disorder (SAD);
2. ongoing substance dependence;
3. the presence of co-occurring psychiatric disorders that require immediate treatment;
4. having an autism spectrum disorder together with borderline intellectual disability or having an intellectual disability;
5. insufficient understanding of the Swedish language