Cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronically parasuicidal borderline patients
Also known as Linehan et al. 1991, Linehan 1991, Cognitive-behavioral treatment of chronically parasuicidal borderline patients (Linehan et al., 1991)
The first randomized trial of dialectical behavior therapy, in suicidal women with BPD
At a glance
What it found
Less self-harm, More stayed, Fewer hospital days
See all 3Key ideas
Behaviour, not mood, changed first, A hard road to print
See all 2Criticism and limits
Mood unchanged
Read next
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder, Outpatient psychotherapy for BPD (Giesen-Bloo et al., 2006), Effect size
See all 3Connections
Marsha Linehan, Dialectical behavior therapy and Evidence-based practice in psychology
See all 3
Also on this page: Key facts · Links · Sources · Related pages
- Chronically suicidal people with borderline personality disorder had no therapy shown to help them.
- This trial randomized women with BPD and repeated self-harm to a year of DBT or treatment as usual.
- DBT patients self-harmed less often and less severely, stayed in therapy more, and spent fewer days in hospital.
- Depression, hopelessness, suicidal ideation and reasons for living did not differ between groups.
Why it matters
- The study that launched DBT.
- Linehan says it showed for the first time that a therapy could help this group, after several journals rejected it.
Key facts
- Authors
- Marsha M. Linehan, Hubert E. Armstrong, Alejandra Suarez, Douglas Allmon, Heidi L. Heard1
- Published
- December 19911
- Journal
- Archives of General Psychiatry 48(12): 1060–10641
- DOI
- 10.1001/archpsyc.1991.018103600240031
- Design
- Randomized clinical trial; 1 year of DBT vs treatment as usual in the community; assessed every 4 months1
- Sample
- Chronically parasuicidal women who met criteria for borderline personality disorder1
- Main result
- Fewer and less medically severe parasuicides, better retention, fewer inpatient psychiatric days with DBT1
- Cited by
- 830 (Europe PMC)1
What it found
Key ideas
Criticism and limits
-
Mood unchanged1
The trial found no between-group differences on depression, hopelessness, suicide ideation or reasons for living.
Read next
-
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder
The 1993 manual describing the treatment tested here.
-
Outpatient psychotherapy for BPD (Giesen-Bloo et al., 2006)
The landmark trial for the other main BPD therapy, schema therapy.
-
Help with reading trial results.
Connections
Links
Sources
Last checked against its sources today
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