Practice of Dialectical Behavior Therapy After Psychiatry Residency

Abstract

The University of Washington (UW) psychiatry residency program attempted to determine how participation in a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) training program influenced the practice of its graduates. A survey was completed by 30 graduates who participated in elective DBT training. This survey obtained information about their DBT training and their current use of DBT. Twenty seven percent of the respondents have performed "formal" DBT since graduation. The rest reported using at least some DBT interventions. The "dose" of DBT training received had an influence on the number of DBT interventions used. These findings suggest that DBT training influenced psychiatrists' use of DBT in their practice.