Dialectical behavioral therapy-based prevention of non-suicidal self-harm among secondary students in China: a...

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents is a significant public health issue worldwide. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based intervention for treating NSSI. However, there are currently few independent studies on DBT interventions specifically targeting NSSI, particularly in Shantou city, within the Chaoshan area of southeast China. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of DBT in reducing NSSI among secondary school students.

A total of 220 7th-grade students from four classes in two schools in Shantou City were selected using randomized cluster sampling. Two classes from one school were assigned to the DBT-based intervention group, while two classes from the other school were assigned to the control group, which received general education intervention. Comparative analyses of quantitative and categorical data were conducted using Student's t-test and chi-square tests.

The occurrence of NSSI in DBT group and control group was 23.60% and 24.50%, respectively. Most students who engaged in NSSI sustained mild injuries (71.43%). The occurrence of NSSI in the DBT group decreased from 23.60% to 10.91% after the DBT-based interventions (χ² = 6.23, P < 0.05). The frequency of NSSI in the DBT group was also reduced (from 1.57 ± 4.411 to 0.54 ± 1.895) after the intervention(t = 3.628, P<0.001). In the DBT group, depression scores significantly decreased from 9.59 ± 11.15 to 6.51 ± 3.08 (t = 2.217, P < 0.05). The total Sub-Optimal Health Status (SHS) score was also significantly reduced, from 16.43 ± 12.74 to 12.04 ± 7.80 (t = 3.083, P < 0.05). Among its subdimensions, the psychological state score declined from 5.37 ± 4.78 to 3.70 ± 4.08 (t = 2.792, P < 0.05), while the fatigue score dropped from 7.06 ± 5.28 to 5.06 ± 3.92 (t = 3.186, P < 0.05). However, the control group did not show significant differences in the above aspects after the conventional interventions.

The six-month DBT-based intervention markedly reduced NSSI and improved mental-health indicators, suggesting that DBT offers an effective, scalable framework for school-based prevention in culturally diverse Chinese settings.