Emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: a feasibility studyShow others and affiliations
2017 (English)In: BMC Psychiatry, ISSN 1471-244X, E-ISSN 1471-244X, Vol. 17, article id 411
Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background: Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a serious health risk behavior that forms the basis of a tentative diagnosis in DSM-5, NSSI Disorder (NSSID). To date, established treatments specific to NSSI or NSSID are scarce. As a first step in evaluating the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of a novel treatment for adolescents with NSSID, we conducted an open trial of emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents (ERITA): a 12-week, behavioral treatment aimed at directly targeting both NSSI and its proposed underlying mechanism of emotion regulation difficulties.
Methods: Seventeen girls (aged 13–17; mean = 15.31) with NSSID were enrolled in a study adopting an uncontrolled open trial design with self-report and clinician-rated assessments of NSSI and other self-destructive behaviors, emotion regulation difficulties, borderline personality features, and global functioning administered at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Measures of NSSI and emotion regulation difficulties were also administered weekly during treatment.
Results: Ratings of treatment credibility and expectancy and the treatment completion rate (88%) were satisfactory, and both therapeutic alliance and treatment attendance were strong. Intent-to-treat analyses revealed significant improvements associated with large effect sizes in past-month NSSI frequency, emotion regulation difficulties, self-destructive behaviors, and global functioning, as well as a medium effect size in past-month NSSI versatility, from pre- to post-treatment. Further, all of these improvements were either maintained or further improved upon at 6-month follow-up. Finally, change in emotion regulation difficulties mediated improvements in NSSI over the course of treatment.
Conclusions: Results suggest the acceptability, feasibility, and utility of this treatment for adolescents with NSSID.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. Vol. 17, article id 411
Keywords [en]
Nonsuicidal self-injury disorder, Self-harm, Emotion regulation individual therapy, Emotion gulation, Mediation
National Category
Psychiatry
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-144106DOI: 10.1186/s12888-017-1527-4ISI: 000419181800004PubMedID: 29282024OAI: oai:DiVA.org:umu-144106DiVA, id: diva2:1177786
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2014-1008Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, MAW 2014.00212018-01-262018-01-262018-08-08Bibliographically approved