Dialectical behaviour therapy in the treatment of borderline personality disorder: a commentary

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) was designed specifically to treat deliberate self-harm (with or without suicide intent) in women with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It has received the most research attention compared to other psychological approaches in this area. The aim of this commentary is to critically appraise the evidence provided by a systematic review on the effects of DBT on self-harm, suicidal ideation, anger, and depression in individuals with BPD. The methods used was Rapid Conversion of Evidence Summaries, a collaborative and educational approach between academics and health and care professionals to understand and summarise research evidence and its implications to practice and policy. As such, the work involved the critical appraisal of a systematic review relevant for the mental health nurse's work involved in the project, using the AMSTAR2 Critical Appraisal tool for systematic reviews. Based on the findings, there is preliminary evidence for the potential of DBT to reduce self-harm behaviours and depression, although the evidence is low quality. Further research is necessary to increase our confidence in the effectiveness of DBT in the treatment of BPD.