Do anxiety and depression symptoms moderate the effect of motivational enhancement therapy as a pretreatment to dialectical behaviour therapy skills training? A follow‐up analysis of a pilot randomised controlled trial for youth. Issue 9 (23rd November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Colvin, Eamon; Tobon, Juliana I.; Zipursky, Robert B.; Streiner, David L.; Ouimet, Allison J.
• Is Part Of: Early intervention in psychiatry. Volume 16:Issue 9(2022)
• Page Start: 1043
• Page End: 1048
• Publication Date: 2021-11-23
• Subjects: dialectical behaviour therapy -- early intervention -- emerging adults -- motivational enhancement therapy -- motivational interviewing -- youth; Mental health -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Research -- Periodicals; Mental illness -- Prevention -- Research -- Periodicals; Mental illness -- Treatment -- Research -- Periodicals; 616.89
• DOI: 10.1111/eip.13244
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1751-7885

Abstract

Abstract: Aim: We conducted a follow‐up analysis of a pilot randomised controlled trial to examine whether baseline depression and anxiety symptoms moderated the impact of a motivational enhancement therapy (MET) pretreatment to dialectical behaviour therapy skill training (DBT‐ST) for EA experiencing emotion dysregulation. Methods: All participants completed a 12‐week DBT‐ST group intervention and participants in the MET/DBT‐ST condition also completed a 4‐week group MET pretreatment. Nineteen MET/DBT‐ST participants and 26 DBT‐ST only participants completed the treatment as per protocol. Results: Baseline anxiety and depression symptoms moderated the impact of the MET pretreatment for participants' reductions in emotion dysregulation and psychological distress, respectively, at a 3‐month follow‐up: participants with more severe baseline symptoms benefited more from the pretreatment. However, baseline symptoms did not moderate the effect of MET immediately after treatment. Conclusions: These results identified for whom MET is most effective as a pretreatment for DBT‐ST amongst a heterogenous sample of EA in a real‐world setting.