Effectiveness of Short Term Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training in College Students with Cluster B Personality Disorders

Dialectical Behavior Therapy in College Counseling Centers: Current Literature and Implications for Practice

“…It can be successfully applied with college students in both standard and adapted formats (Chugani et al, 2013;Engle et al, 2013). Further, Pistorello and colleagues (2012) note that the dropout rate in their study was partially explained by clinical improvement; some students did not need to continue for the full treatment period.…”

“…Rather, current research supports the notion that centers need professional DBT training in order to implement programs that will yield positive clinical outcomes. One method of obtaining funding for such training is to begin by offering a partial DBT program (that is, one or more modes) and collecting outcome data for students who participate (see Chugani et al, 2013). Outcome data can then be presented to university administrators to support requests for funds to obtain additional resources, staff, or training in DBT and to offer expanded DBT programs (Chugani, In press;Sauers, Mattei, & Paull, 2013; see next section for suggestions on outcome measurement).…”

“…Although the study did not include a control condition, these findings do suggest the potential viability of DBT skills training only as an alternative to the comprehensive model. Chugani, Ghali, and Brunner (2013) developed an 11-week DBT skills training group (90 minute sessions), which includes skills from all four DBT modules, at a college counseling center. The authors note several adaptations, including ensuring treatment fits within one academic semester, scheduling so that students can adjust to class schedules before committing to skills training, ending the group prior to final exams, and scheduling groups that fit within university class scheduling blocks.…”

Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for College Counseling Centers

“…Chugani, Ghali, and Brunner () examined the effectiveness of an 11‐week DBT skills training group provided as part of an adapted DBT program in Florida Gulf Coast University's (FGCU) Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). Participants were students who demonstrated high levels of emotional dysregulation and had been identified by a CAPS clinician as presenting with a Cluster B personality disorder or clinically significant Cluster B traits that were the primary focus of attention in treatment.…”

“…Chugani et al () found that students who participated in the DBT group demonstrated significant increases in the use of adaptive coping skills and significant decreases in the use of maladaptive coping skills compared with those in the TAU group. In addition, students who participated in the DBT group demonstrated a trend for improvement in emotion regulation ( p = .052) compared with those in the TAU group.…”