Emotional Regulation and Interpersonal Effectiveness as Mechanisms of Change for Treatment Outcomes Within a DBT Program for Adolescents

Abstract

Predictive modeling was used to identify the degree that hypothesized moderators of dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents (DBT-A) treatment outcomes predicted anxiety and depression symptoms over time. Participants were 66 adolescents (41 girls; 25 boys) with a mean age of 15.38 years (SD = 1.51) who completed a 7-week DBT-A intervention. Analyses revealed convergent models, wherein emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness were substantial predictors of change in the symptoms of anxiety, F(4, 65) = 23.21, p < .01, R² = .60, and depression, F(4, 65) = 29.76, p < .01, R² = .66.

• adolescents
• DBT
• emotion regulation
• interpersonal effectiveness
• outcomes

Notes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Funding The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/orPUBLICation of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

A. Stephen Lenz

A. Stephen Lenz is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University-Corpus Christi and a Licensed Professional Counselor. He is coordinator of the Counseling Outcome and Program Evaluation (COPE) research group and his research interests include holistic approaches to counselor development, evidence-supported counseling interventions, community-based program evaluation, and psychometric scale development.

Garry Del Conte

Garry Del Conte, Psy.D. is clinical director at Daybreak Treatment Center in Germantown, TN and a licensed Psychologist. His clinical specialization is working with children, adolescents, and families in partial hospitalization settings.

K. Michelle Hollenbaugh

K. Michelle Hollenbaugh, PhD, LPC-S, is an assistant professor in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University-Corpus Christi. Her research interests include dialectical behavior therapy, assessment, counselor education pedagogy, & evidenced based interventions in counseling.

Karisse Callendar

Karisse Callendar, MS, LPC, SAC, is a doctoral student in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology at Texas A#x00026;M University-Corpus Christi. Her research interests include interventions that promote counselor-client working alliance, counseling approaches for individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome, and instrument development.