Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is one of the relatively few evidence-based treatments that has been found to be effective at reducing suicidal ideation and behaviors. An added benefit is that the participation in DBT is associated with reducing the use of costly crisis services such as psychiatric hospitalizations and emergency room visits. In DBT, psychiatric hospitalization is avoided whenever possible. Yes, even when a client is experiencing a suicidal crisis! This is done as there is no evidence suggesting that acute inpatient hospitalization is effective at either reducing suicidal risk or treating suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In fact, there is substantial data indicating that people recently discharged from an inpatient psychiatric hospital are at an elevated risk for suicide (Chung, et al., 2017; Forte, et al., 2019).
DBT: Improve Stability and Satisfaction in Relationships
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is the “gold standard” treatment for borderline personality disorder (BPD), with accumulating evidence that DBT is also effective for a range of mental health difficulties with underlying emotion dysregulation. Although only one to two percent of the general population likely meets criteria for BPD, many individuals have difficulties regulating their emotions … Read more
