Progression of a Group of Patients Suffering From Emotional Dysregulation But Heterogeneous in Terms of Diagnosis, Benefiting From the DBT Group Programme.

Progression of a Group of Patients Suffering From Emotional Dysregulation But Heterogeneous in Terms of Diagnosis, Benefiting From the DBT Group Programme.

Human beings experience emotions and have the ability to manage them, but when these abilities are undermined by mental illness, the result is emotional dysregulation. Borderline patients (1 to 4% of the population) suffer from this symptom and can benefit from a specific therapy: DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy; Linehan, 1993). Created specifically for this condition, DBT significantly reduces emotional dysregulation, a dimension at the root of behavioural disorders that is known to be poorly relieved by drug treatments. The DBT group training programme offers patients the opportunity to learn and practise emotional regulation skills. Four types of skills are taught skills: mindfulness, interpersonal skills, emotional regulation and and distress tolerance. This therapy is part of the psychiatric care, in which patients take responsibility in their own care.

There are many studies showing the effectiveness of DBT and its programme with borderline patients. But there are other pathologies concerned by emotional dysregulation: thymic disorders in particular bipolar (1 to 2.5%), addictive disorders (8 to 10%), eating disorders (ADD, 10%), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 2%).

A few other studies have demonstrated the efficacy of DBT in patients suffering from other psychiatric disorders (antisocial personality, addictive disorders, particularly alcohol, eating disorders). However, no study has attempted to test the impact of DBT on emotional regulation in a diagnostically heterogeneous group of patients.

The investigators therefore propose, for the first time, to group together different pathologies in the field of emotional regulation disorders (borderline disorders, thymic disorders including bipolarity, anxiety disorders including PTSD, addictive disorders, eating disorders) in order to study the specific influence of the DBT programme on these emotional dysfunctions as its main objective.

The aim of this study is to describe the evolution of a group of diagnostically heterogeneous patients (Borderline Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Addictive Disorders, CAT Disorders, PTSD) suffering from emotional dysregulation, benefiting from the DBT group programme, in a reduced version of this therapy, since it will take place over 4 to 5 months.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients affiliated to or entitled under a social security scheme
• Patients aged 18 to 65 suffering from emotional dysregulation and presenting one of the following clinical profiles: borderline disorder, bipolar disorder, addictive disorders, eating disorders, PTSD.
• Follow-up by the Saint Etienne sector (mobile teams, psychological medical centre, intra-hospital services, full-time therapeutic reception centre and day hospitals).
• DERS scale score > 94.
• Patient having received informed information about the study and having signed consent to participate in the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychotic disorders,
• Melancholic depression,
• Aggressive and hostile behaviour preventing group work,
• Intellectual deficit,
• Patient under guardianship.