TY - JOUR
PY - 2017//
TI - Emotion regulation individual therapy for adolescents with nonsuicidal self-injury disorder: a feasibility study
JO - BMC psychiatry
A1 - Bjureberg, Johan
A1 - Sahlin, Hanna
A1 - Hellner, Clara
A1 - Hedman-Lagerlöf, Erik
A1 - Gratz, Kim L.
A1 - Bjärehed, Jonas
A1 - Jokinen, Jussi
A1 - Tull, Matthew T.
A1 - Ljótsson, Brjánn
SP - e411
EP - e411
VL - 17
IS - 1
N2 - 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. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02326012, December 22, 2014, retrospectively registered).
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1471-244X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1527-4 ID - ref1 ER -