Dialectical behavior therapy and the treatment of emotion dysregulation

J Clin Psychol. 2001 Feb;57(2):183-96. doi: 10.1002/1097-4679(200102)57:2<183::aid-jclp5>3.0.co;2-y.

Abstract

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a disorder characterized by severe disturbances in emotion regulation. In Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), affect dysregulation is seen as a consequence of a transaction between a biological predisposition to emotion vulnerability and invalidating environmental experiences. In the past few years, a growing body of research has accumulated demonstrating the efficacy of DBT in treating severely disordered, chronically suicidal, and substance-dependent individuals with BPD. This article describes a DBT approach to the treatment of emotion regulation in individuals with BPD.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Affective Symptoms / psychology
  • Affective Symptoms / therapy*
  • Behavior Therapy / methods*
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / psychology
  • Borderline Personality Disorder / therapy*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Psychological Theory
  • Psychotherapeutic Processes
  • Substance-Related Disorders / psychology