Dialectical behaviour therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood sexual abuse: a pilot study in an outpatient treatment setting. Issue 1 (1st January 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Steil, Regina; Dittmann, Clara; Müller-Engelmann, Meike; Dyer, Anne; Maasch, Anne-Marie; Priebe, Kathlen
• Is Part Of: European journal of psychotraumatology. Volume 9:Issue 1(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-01-01
• Subjects: Borderline personality disorder -- childhood sexual abuse -- trauma -- cognitive behaviour therapy -- psychotherapy outcome research -- feasibility; trastorno borderline de personalidad -- abuso sexual infantil -- trauma -- terapia cognitivo conductual -- investigación de resultados psicoterapéuticos -- aplicabilidad; 边缘性人格障碍 -- 童年性虐待 -- 创伤 -- 认知行为治疗 -- 心理治疗结果研究 -- 可行性; Safety, acceptance and effects of outpatient Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for PTSD were evaluated. Pre–post and pre–follow-up treatment effects of DBT-PTSD were found to be large for PTSD symptoms, Borderline symptoms and depression. 79% of the patients showed remission in PTSD. DBT-PTSD showed good acceptance with normal dropout rate of 19%.; Post-traumatic stress disorder -- Periodicals; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Electronic journals; Periodicals; Periodicals; Fulltext; Internet Resources; Periodicals; 616.8521
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2018.1423832
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2000-8198

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Background : Dialectical behaviour therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (DBT-PTSD), which is tailored to treat adults with PTSD and co-occurring emotion regulation difficulties, has already demonstrated its efficacy, acceptance and safety in an inpatient treatment setting. It combines elements of DBT with trauma-focused cognitive behavioural interventions. Objective : To investigate the feasibility, acceptance and safety of DBT-PTSD in an outpatient treatment setting by therapists who were novice to the treatment, we treated 21 female patients suffering from PTSD following childhood sexual abuse (CSA) plus difficulties in emotion regulation in an uncontrolled clinical trial. Method : The Clinician Administered PTSD Symptom Scale (CAPS), the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), the Borderline Section of the International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE) and the Borderline Symptom List (BSL-23) were used as primary outcomes. For secondary outcomes, depression and dissociation were assessed. Assessments were administered at pretreatment, post-treatment and six-week follow-up. Results : Improvement was significant for PTSD as well as for borderline personality symptomatology, with large pretreatment to follow-up effect sizes for completers based on the CAPS (Cohens d = 1.30), DTS ( d = 1.50), IPDE ( d = 1.60) and BSL-23 ( d = 1.20). Conclusion : The outcome suggests that outpatient DBT-PTSD can safely be used to reduce PTSD symptoms and comorbid psychopathology in adults who have experienced CSA.