Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Training to Improve Turkish College Students’ Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Feasibility and Acceptability of a School-Based Emotion Regulation Prevention Intervention (READY-Nepal) for Secondary School Students in Post-Earthquake Nepal

BACKGROUND

Child and adolescent mental health problems are major contributors to the global burden of disease in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. To advance the evidence base for adolescent mental health interventions in LMICs, we evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a school-based emotion regulation prevention intervention (READY-Nepal) for adolescents who had a recent exposure to a humanitarian disaster.

METHODS

A mixed-method, non-randomized controlled trial was conducted with Nepali secondary school students in one heavily affected post-earthquake district. Students (N = 102; aged 13 to 17 years) were enrolled in the intervention (n = 42) and waitlist control (n = 60) conditions. Feasibility and acceptability were examined via attendance, and by qualitative interviews with a subset of students (n = 15), teachers (n = 2), and caregivers (n = 3). Preliminary efficacy was examined on primary outcome (emotion regulation) and secondary outcomes (anxiety symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, functional impairment, resilience, coping skills), which were measured at baseline and post-intervention (four weeks).

RESULTS

Delivering the intervention was feasible and acceptable, as demonstrated by low dropout (8%) and high program attendance (6.7 of 8 sessions). Qualitative data suggested high uptake of anger regulation skills, but lower uptake of mindfulness skills. Despite this, there were no significant differences by condition on primary or secondary outcomes at four-week follow-up. Students provided suggestions for improvement of the program.

CONCLUSION

Further research on longitudinal outcome measurement, use of alternatives to retrospective self-report data, and rigorous development of culturally grounded models of emotion regulation is necessary to explore the utility of school-based emotion regulation interventions in Nepal and other LMICs.

A clinical follow-up study of dialectical behavior therapy skills groups among female adolescents diagnosed with depressive disorder

Our aim was to evaluate longitudinal data for adolescents who were treated with Dialectical Behavior therapy (DBT) skills groups having been previously diagnosed with depressive disorder. Intervention with an observational cross-sectional design was implemented to evaluate the treatment outcome of a 10-week DBT skills groups with female adolescents with depression. After the patients were identified for enrollment, parents and adolescents were evaluated with psychometric measurements pre-, post-intervention, and at one-year follow-up. Repeated measures analysis was undertaken with the Child Depression Inventory (CDI), Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for participants. Statistical significance was detected for self-report CDI scores and both self-report and parent SDQ and PedsQL scores. This study is the first DBT intervention in Turkish children, shows that a group DBT skills groups training can be adapted and put into practice successfully with depressed Turkish adolescents.

Randomized clinical trial of a brief, scalable intervention for mental health sequelae in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

This randomized clinical trial aimed to determine feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of brief Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills videos in reducing psychological distress among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over six weeks, 153 undergraduates at a large, public American university completed pre-assessment, intervention, and post-assessment periods. During the intervention, participants were randomized to receive animated DBT skills videos for 14 successive days (n = 99) or continue assessment (n = 54). All participants received 4x daily ecological momentary assessments on affect, self-efficacy of managing emotions, and unbearableness of emotions. The study was feasible and the intervention was acceptable, as demonstrated by moderate to high compliance rates and video ratings. There were significant pre-post video reductions in negative affect and increases in positive affect. There was a significant time × condition interaction on unbearableness of emotions; control participants rated their emotions as more unbearable in the last four vs. first two weeks, whereas the intervention participants did not rate their emotions as any more unbearable. Main effects of condition on negative affect and self-efficacy were not significant. DBT skills videos may help college students avoid worsening mental health. This brief, highly scalable intervention could extend the reach of mental health treatment.

Knowledge Formation in Systemic Counselling Trainees from Germany: A Pilot Study from a Competence-Based Perspective

This pilot study has two areas of focus. It examines how the knowledge and competences of twelve Master’s-level systemic counselling trainees are connected, and how well their own assessment of their competence corresponds to external assessment. Methodologically, three instruments were used: first, an instrument to measure their explicit knowledge; second, videos of consultations with simulated clients to measure their competence in practice; third, a self-assessment measure to explore how externally assessed competence corresponds to self-assessment. The results show no indication that knowledge is related to externally assessed competence. Furthermore, their self-assessment did not show any systematic connection to the external assessment. The study concludes that the development of systemic counselling skills is a long-term process of theory acquisition, practise, and reflection. Important reflection processes can be stimulated by self-assessment. However, such assessments are not sufficient to capture the quality and scope of competence.