Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Mental Health
Date Submitted: Jan 21, 2021
Date Accepted: Mar 9, 2021
Date Submitted to PubMed: Apr 9, 2021
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Effectiveness of Delivering Dialectical Behavioural Therapy Techniques by E-Mail in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder
ABSTRACT
Background:
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a debilitating and prevalent mental health disorder that has often inaccessible treatment options. Electronically Delivered Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (e-DBT) could be an efficacious and more accessible intervention.
Objective:
The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of e-DBT in the treatment of individuals with symptoms of BPD.
Methods:
Study participants diagnosed with BPD were offered treatment options of either online or in-person format of a DBT skills-building program. During each session, participants were provided with both the material and feedback regarding their previous week’s homework. e-DBT protocol and content were designed to mirror in-person content. Participants were assessed by using a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS).
Results:
There were significant increases in SAQ scores from pre-to post-treatment in the e-DBT group F (1,92) = 69.32, p < 0.001, and in-person group, F (1,92) = 60.97, p < .001. There were no significant differences observed between the groups at pre- and post-treatment for SAQ scores, F (1,92) = .05, p = .83. There were significant decreases in DERS scores observed between pre- and post-treatment in the e-DBT group, F (1,91) = 30.15, p < .001, and the in-person group, F (1,91) = 58.18, p < .001. There were no significant differences observed between the groups at pre- and post-treatment for DERS scores, F (1,91) = .24, p = .63. There was no significant difference in treatment efficacy observed between the two treatment arms.
Conclusions:
Despite the proven efficacy of in-person DBT in the treatment of BPD, there are barriers to receiving this treatment. With the prevalence of internet access continuing to rise globally, delivering an online form of DBT may provide a more accessible alternative to treatment for individuals with BPD, without sacrificing the quality of care. Clinical Trial: ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration System (NCT04493580); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04493580.
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