At North Texas DBT Associates, we are all about providing evidence-based treatment. We have amassed a list of journal articles, included below, which we think will be helpful in providing more insight into the efficacy of DBT and what to look for in a DBT provider to ensure that you are getting access to the safest and most effective care available for your needs. Please reach out to us HERE if you would like to learn more.
What is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)?
Find a general overview of the treatment on the Behavioral Tech website. Behavioral Tech is an institute started by Dr. Linehan herself that is dedicated to the training of DBT providers as well as supporting and disseminating research on DBT. This link will take you to their own explanation of what the pieces are that should be present for DBT to be an evidence-based treatment: https://behavioraltech.org/dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt/
BUT…Does DBT Actually Help?
For an exhaustive list of Peer-Reviewed Randomized Control Trials (RCT’s) on the Efficacy of Standard DBT (Standard DBT is DBT that includes structured weekly individual sessions with a diary card, weekly group skills classes, access to between session phone coaching support, and treatment by a provider who is on a weekly DBT Consult Team), look here: https://behavioraltech.org/evidence/
Or you can review a list of RCT’s by topic below:
Standard DBT
*The Original Study Conducted by Dr. Linehan in 1991: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/21311206_Cognitive-Behavioral_Treatment_of_Chronically_Parasuicidal_Borderline_Patients
*Linehan’s Follow Up Two Year Randomized Control Trial (RCT) Comparing DBT to Treatment by Experts in Suicidal Behaviors (2006): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16818865/
*DBT and Women with BPD in The Netherlands (2018): https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/dialectical-behaviour-therapy-for-women-with-borderline-personality-disorder/B18DBB959BC4613E920EA330E1625E5F
*DBT and MDD with Co-Occurring BPD in Women over 55 Vs. Medication-Only: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/gps.1703
*DBT and Individuals with BPD traits and History of Suicide Attempts and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (2012): https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2012-16938-001
*DBT and Recent Self-Harm (2012): https://karger.com/pps/article/81/6/356/282694/Effectiveness-and-Cost-Effectiveness-of
*DBT and Substance Use Disorders Compared to Treatment As Usual (TAU) (2010): https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/105504999305686
*DBT and Female Veterans with BPD (2001): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005789401800095
*A Meta-Analysis of Treatments for Individuals with BPD (2020): https://www.cochrane.org/CD005652/BEHAV_psychological-therapies-borderline-personality-disorder
DBT for Adolescents (DBT-A)
*DBT–A Compared Vs Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) for Suicidal and Self-Harming Teens (2016): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27015720/
*DBT-A Vs Enhanced Usual Care (EUC) in Adolescents with History of Suicide Attempts (SA), Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI), and BPD traits (2014): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0890856714004997
*DBT-A for Suicidal and Self-Harming Teens with One Year Follow Up (2011): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3037874/
*DBT-A and Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder (2015): https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/cap.2013.0145
DBT for Children (DBT-C)
*An Overview of DBT-C (2020): https://www.childdbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Overview-of-DBT-C-primary-targets_in-DBT-in-Clinical-Practice-2020-1.pdf
*DBT-C for Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD): https://www.childdbt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/DBT-C-for-DMDD_JAACAP-2017-1.pdf
**For more information on DBT-C and its efficacy, please visit the DBT-C website: https://www.childdbt.com/child-dbt-research-on-dbt-c/
DBT Prolonged Exposure Protocol for PTSD (DBT-PE)
*Standard DBT vs DBT-PE for PTSD (2014): https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0005796714000151
*Preliminary Evaluation of the Efficacy of DBT-PE (2012): https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10597-018-0358-1?author_access_token=ENPfs1TxMQ-ccl7wW3DnFve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6C02LpQIPliViHfiktSkRqMy-p6xlrZJt9WbSyeQ1q295lWB9wmNX3qDQLfdBQLsDAeBC5QmSv2Tkal2ceNVOOVY-ykbVgzai0LXkFh5o8sg==
*Treatment Preferences Among Suicidal and Self-Harming Women (2013): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4075754/
*Perspectives on Stage-Based Treatment Among DBT Consumers (2018): https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10597-018-0358-1?author_access_token=ENPfs1TxMQ-ccl7wW3DnFve4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6C02LpQIPliViHfiktSkRqMy-p6xlrZJt9WbSyeQ1q295lWB9wmNX3qDQLfdBQLsDAeBC5QmSv2Tkal2ceNVOOVY-ykbVgzai0LXkFh5o8sg==
*For more information on DBT-PE and its efficacy, please visit the DBT-PE website: https://dbtpe.org/research
DBT-PTSD for Complex PTSD
*DBT-PTSD for Co-Occurring BPD and PTSD in Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse (2013): https://karger.com/pps/article-abstract/82/4/221/282823/Dialectical-Behaviour-Therapy-for-Post-traumatic