Effects of DBT-based interventions on alexithymia: a systematic review

While dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) appears effective for some psychiatric conditions commonly associated with alexithymia, it is unclear whether DBT improves difficulties experienced by alexithymic individuals. This review investigated the current evidence on the effectiveness of DBT-based interventions in improving alexithymia. A qualitative synthesis of studies that investigated the efficacy of DBT on self-reported alexithymia was performed, identifying eligible studies using EBSCO/Essentials, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and PsychINFO databases. Eight studies were identified. Overall, the results were inconclusive due to the heterogeneity of the studies but suggest that DBT-based interventions may be associated with self-reported decreases in alexithymia and increases in the ability to identify emotional states. The literature is limited by significant methodological problems, such as the low number of controlled trials, small samples, and high variability between DBT programs, which increases the risk of bias across study outcomes. More research is needed to reach conclusions regarding the effectiveness of DBT in improving alexithymia. Future studies should conduct randomized controlled trial designs (primarily with active treatment control conditions), greater standardization of DBT-based interventions, and a more in-depth examination of the level of participant involvement in long-term DBT-based interventions may help to understand whether DBT improves alexithymia difficulties.