The focus of this application is to evaluate the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), a cognitive-behavioral approach initially developed for the outpatient treatment of suicidal women with borderline personality disorder (BPD), in treating college students with significant BPD features, including suicidality, presenting to a university counseling center. The goal is to obtain pilot data that can subsequently be utilized to develop a large, multisite study. Counseling centers across the nation are reporting an increase in the percentage of highly distressed students. However, there is a lack of clear guidelines on how to treat multiproblem cases. With the advent of liability suits against universities for failing to provide treatment to suicidal students, the task of finding effective ways to treat severe and complex presentations, such as BPD, within a counseling center setting becomes imperative. One clear possibility is DBT. The current research on this treatment, although very promising, suggests the need for continued validation across settings. It is not known if the application of DBT to a younger and more functional sample, drawn from such a unique context, will lead to similar results. The present study will examine the impact of DBT, relative to an optimized Treatment as Usual (TAU) control condition, in reducing suicidal behaviors, improving academic functioning, and enhancing quality of life among currently suicidal college students with BPD features presenting to treatment at a counseling center setting. This will be a controlled trial, with randomized block assignment. Both treatments will last 1 year and will include individual and group treatment. To make the TAU condition comparable to DBT, """"""""experts"""""""" in BPD from the community will be recruited and the treatment will also be conducted on campus. A total of at least 44 students (22 in each condition), both male and female, are expected to complete the study, although 64 will be randomized to treatment. Pre, mid, post, and 6-month follow-up assessments will be conducted. Additionally, data available through the university, such as GPA, enrollment status, and number of health care visits will be tracked for one year after the study.
| Pistorello, Jacqueline; Fruzzetti, Alan E; Maclane, Chelsea et al. (2012) Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) applied to college students: A randomized clinical trial. J Consult Clin Psychol 80:982-94 |
| Iverson, Katherine M; Follette, Victoria M; Pistorello, Jacqueline et al. (2012) An investigation of experiential avoidance, emotion dysregulation, and distress tolerance in young adult outpatients with borderline personality disorder symptoms. Personal Disord 3:415-22 |
| Miller, Grant D; Iverson, Katherine M; Kemmelmeier, Markus et al. (2010) A Pilot Study of Psychotherapist Trainees' Alpha-Amylase and Cortisol Levels During Treatment of Recently Suicidal Clients With Borderline Traits. Prof Psychol Res Pr 41:228-235 |
