An Empirical Evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training for Residential Treatment Center Staff

Sammanfattning: The aim of this intervention study was to investigate possible effects of dialectical behavior therapy skills training (DBT-ST) for staffs at a residential treatment center for patients with serious mental illness. Eighteen staffs divided in two groups were assessed before and after participation in DBT-ST. The intervention lasted one year for each group. Mean number of self-injuries each month were calculated for patients (N = 64) at the center receiving DBT during the baseline, intervention, and post-intervention years. Staff participation in DBT-ST was associated with increases in self-reported mindfulness and improvements in the work environment. The number of staffs who reported frequent violent incidents at work decreased from 39% to 11%. A significant and large reduction (r = -.63) was found in the number of self-injuries among patients following DBT-ST for the first group of staffs. The study demonstrates that important aspects of mindfulness probably can be learned by staffs without engaging in meditation-based programs. Further, the results suggest the hypothesis that promoting increased mindfulness among staffs can contribute to a reduction of self-harm and violence among patients. The findings are discussed with reference to a cognitive declarative-procedural-reflective model of therapist skill development (Bennett-Levy, 2006).