Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Children in Residential Care

Childhood Aggression

DBT, child, emotion regulation, behavior problems

I: Conduct Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for children (DBT-C) in residential as compared with Treatment-As-Usual (TAU) (60 children in DBT-C and 60 children in the comparison condition). II: Finalize therapist training manuals and educational materials to guide selection, training, and supervision of treatment providers.

Specific Aim 1: Examine feasibility of DBT-C by evaluating response rate in treatment attendance, treatment satisfaction, and any differences in these rates by groups. Hypothesis 1: DBT-C will be equivalent to TAU in attendance rate and will have significantly greater treatment satisfaction rating by subjects, as well as by therapists and milieu staff. Specific Aim 2: Examine efficacy of DBT-C as compared to TAU in reducing internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Hypothesis 2: Children in DBT-C condition as compared to TAU will have significantly fewer internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Specific Aim 3: Examine efficacy of DBT-C in improving adaptive coping, emotion regulation, risk taking, and social skills, and reducing depression. Hypothesis 3: Children in DBT-C Training condition as compared to TAU will have significantly greater improvement in adaptive coping skills, emotion regulation, risk taking and impulsivity and social skills, and reducing depressive symptoms. Specific Aim 4: Examine efficacy of DBT-C in reducing the frequency of critical incidents. Hypothesis 4: Children in DBT-C condition as compared to TAU will have significantly fewer critical incidents, including psychiatric hospitalization, emergency room visits, total number of days inpatient, suicidal ideations and attempts, self-harm behaviors, sexual acting out, running away, stealing, police involvement, etc.

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United States