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

Abstract

This pilot project investigates the efficacy of an 11-week dialectical behavior therapy skills training class in increasing adaptive skill use and emotion regulation in college students with cluster B personality disorders or traits. Subjects are students (N = 19, mean age = 21.31, 1 male, 18 female) at a southeastern university counseling center. Students meeting criteria but not interested in attending the group were recruited to serve as control subjects who received treatment as usual. As compared to treatment as usual, dialectical behavior therapy participants had significant improvement in increasing skills use and decreasing maladaptive coping skills; there was a trend for improvement in difficulty regulating emotions.

Keywords:

• borderline personality
• college counseling centers
• dialectical behavior therapy