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Dialectical Behavioural Therapy for Adults with Mental Illness: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines.

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies. (2017)

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health - n/a

Evidence Categories

  • Care setting: Healthcare Setting
  • Care setting: Educational Setting
  • Population group: Mental health condition
  • Population group: Military/ ex military
  • Population group: Adults
  • Population group: Current / previous history of substance misuse
  • Intervention: Selective interventions: Psychosocial Interventions
  • Outcome: Suicide

Type of Evidence

Systematic Review

Aims

The authors state: "To summarise evidence regarding the clinical effectiveness and guidelines for the use of DBT in the treatment of adult patients with mental illness."

Findings

The authors state: "Suicide Attempts and SI: One RCT among veterans reported that three patients (6.5%) in the DBT group compared with five patients (11.11%) in the TAU group attempted suicide during the 6-month treatment phase and 6-month follow-up, resulting in 35% hospitalisation rate in both groups over the period. A survival analysis of suicide attempts and hospitalizations did not show a significant between-group difference. Patients in both the DBT and TAU groups showed improvements in SI without a statistically significant difference between the two groups. What are the evidence-based guidelines associated with the use of DBT in adults with mental illness? The literature search did not identify any evidence-based guidelines with recommendations for the use of DBT in the treatment patients with mental illness."

Conclusions

The authors state: "Given the previously discussed methodological shortfalls and the limitations of the included RCTs, further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of the DBT or DBT-based interventions in the mentally ill patient populations targeted by the RCTs. The literature search did not identify any evidence-based guidelines with recommendations specific for the use of DBT in the treatment patients with mental illness."