Progression of a Group of Patients Suffering From Emotional Dysregulation But Heterogeneous in Terms of Diagnosis, Benefiting From the DBT Group Programme.

Condition(s) studied

Investigational drug(s) / intervention(s)

Group programme for DBT training: This programme comprises 16 sessions over approximately 5 to 6 months, with one 2.5-hour session every week in a closed group of 8 patients. These sessions will be supervised by two or four carers trained in DBT.

Study summary

Human beings experience emotions and have the ability to manage them, but when these abilities are undermined by mental illness, the result is emotional dysregulation. Borderline patients (1 to 4% of the population) suffer from this symptom and can benefit from a specific therapy: DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy; Linehan, 1993). Created specifically for this condition, DBT significantly reduces emotional dysregulation, a dimension at the root of behavioural disorders that is known to be poorly relieved by drug treatments. The DBT group training programme offers patients the opportunity to learn and practise emotional regulation skills. Four types of skills are taught skills: mindfulness, interpersonal skills, emotional regulation and and distress tolerance. This therapy is part of the psychiatric care, in which patients take responsibility in their own care.

There are many studies showing the effectiveness of DBT and its programme with borderline patients. But there are other pathologies concerned by emotional dysregulation: thymic disorders in particular bipolar (1 to 2.5%), addictive disorders (8 to 10%), eating disorders (ADD, 10%), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD, 2%).

Eligibility

Primary outcome measure(s)

• DERS (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale) — Weeks 1, 7, 12 and 16
  Measures six dimensions of emotion regulation. The 36 items are scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The score is between 36 and 180, 36 for no emotional difficulty and 180 for maximum emotional dysregulation. The higher the score, the greater the difficulty the subject has in emotion regulation.

Trial sites (1)

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