Pilot Test of a DBT-Based Parenting Intervention for Parents of Youth With Recent Self-Harm

Abstract

Improving family functioning is a critical treatment target for youth at risk for suicide. The present study focused on the development and pilot testing of a brief, parent-only, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)-based intervention with N = 10 sets of parents of youth with a suicide attempt or nonsuicidal self-injury within the past 3 months. Youth received treatment as usual; however, they did not receive any treatment as part of the study. Results showed that parents who received the intervention reported reductions in parent self-reported depressive symptoms, emotion dysregulation, caregiver strain, psychiatric symptom distress and interpersonal sensitivity, from baseline to 6-month follow-up. Youth also showed decreases in total self-harm from baseline to 6-month follow-up. These results provide support for further testing of the DBT-based parenting intervention, both as a stand-alone treatment and as an adjunct to enhance the effectiveness of standard DBT for adolescents. This article provides a detailed description of the parenting protocol, as well as a case example.