Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents

Enhanced Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents: Impacts of Individualized Skills Coaching on Constructs of Suicidality

Suicide is a leading cause of death and significant concerns for adolescents and young adults. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is an evidence-based intervention that effectively reduces life-threatening behaviors. Limited research examines the impact of adding individualized skills coaching sessions (ISCS) to the DBT-A model, a novel intervention referred to in this paper as "Enhanced DBT-A". This study evaluates the effectiveness of Enhanced DBT-A in reducing suicidality over 1 year of treatment in an outpatient and intensive outpatient setting.

Inclusion Criteria:

• appropriateness for Stage 1 DBT, completion of all assessments within the designated timeframe, a non-zero score on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) at intake, and participation in at least one ISCS between intake and 1 year from the first individual therapy session.

Exclusion Criteria:

• presenting with active psychosis, a primary diagnosis of substance use, who did not consent to data collection, or who had a zero score on the C-SSRS at intake