In one of the latest articles published in the RPCNA, changes in adolescents with borderline personality characteristics and in their caregivers after participating in “Dialectical Behavior Multifamily Group Therapy” are explored.
The objective was to evaluate whether a DBT-A skills group as a stand-alone treatment could improve parenting styles and emotional regulation in adolescents with characteristics of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and their parents.
For this, the following methodology was used:
- A 12-week skills group intervention with 14 adolescents and their caregivers.
- Participants (81.82% women) aged from 14 to 17 years old (M = 15.55, SD = .82).
- Clinically Reliable Change (CRC) analysis to understand individual changes.
- Evaluation of the acceptability of the intervention.
The results showed effectiveness in improving parenting styles (more affectionate and less critical) in both parents and adolescents, changes in various emotional regulation processes that were sustained in some aspects up to six months later, and satisfactory levels of satisfaction with the intervention.
In summary, multifamily intervention with DBT-A could modify mechanisms related to the development of BPD, such as parenting styles. However, the duration may not be sufficient to improve emotional regulation processes.
You can find the full article at RPCNA.