Editorial: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the Function of Self-Injury

The study by Asarnow et  al.1 is the third major paper from a large, federally funded, randomized, controlled trial of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as compared to Individual and Group Supportive Therapy (IGST) for reducing self-injury in teens. The first paper established the superiority of DBT as compared to IGST.2 The second paper focused on predictors and moderators of treatment outcome.3 The goal of this, the third, publication1 is to identify the mechanism by which DBT is effective in reducing suicidal and self-injurious behavior in an at-risk group of adolescents. The value of DBT in reducing suicidal be havior is increasingly important as we face what appears to be a rise in attempt rates and suicide deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.4

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - July 7, 2021 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Jonathan Pochyly, John T. Walkup Tags: Editorial Source Type: research