Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Inpatient and Residential Settings for Adolescents: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an internationally recognized empirically supported treatment for patients who meet criteria for multiple diagnoses and exhibit unsafe, high-risk behaviors. DBT has been adapted and modified for adolescents in outpatient settings, and there has been growing interest in adapting DBT to inpatient and residential treatment programs for adolescents. This interest has been fueled by the identified lack of empirical evidence for psychological interventions at higher levels of care for youth as well as the striking trend of increased demand. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the research on DBT for adolescents in inpatient and residential treatment settings. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines for systematic review were followed. A total of 17 studies were identified and reviewed. Key adaptations made for inpatient and residential settings are identified, the effectiveness of these adaptations is examined, implications for implementation are outlined, and recommendations are made for future research in these settings.

Disclosure statement

No relevant financial disclosures. The authors received no specific funding for this work. One author (ATM) has publications reviewed in this article, with controls for bias noted in the Methods section.