Integration of Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Parent Training: Results From Three New Dual-Generation Treatment Studies

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

Parental emotion regulation is increasingly identified as a target of dual-generation treatment approaches, because it is a transdiagnostic feature of parental psychopathology that impacts child mental health, and because a parent’s ability to regulate their own emotions is necessary to engage in most skills taught in parent training programs. One of the most effective treatments for improving emotion regulation in adults is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). There is growing interest in integrating DBT skills with parenting and child and adolescent-focused interventions (Zalewski et al., 2020), and the pace of treatment development occurring in this area would benefit from greater coordination and discussion among researchers.
This symposium presents three new treatment studies, from distinct groups (University of Manitoba, Stanford University, and University of Washington) that all focus on integrated DBT and parent training interventions. Papers 1, 2, and 3 will detail their approach to treatment integration, and describe their rationale for dosage, the target population, and overview their results. The discussant, who is the lead author of a recent theoretical paper on integrating DBT and parenting interventions, will highlight variations and similarities across approaches including the primary target of treatment (parent vs child), length of treatment, outcomes of interest, and children’s developmental period. The interactive discussion will pull from the presenters and audience members to determine the most critical next steps in treatment development in this area, consider potential harmonization among treatment outcome measures, and identify greater areas of collaboration among attendees to further advance these promising treatment development efforts.

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Chair

• Yoel Everett, University of Oregon

Discussant

• Maureen Zalewski, University of Oregon

Individual Presentations

• Building Regulation in Dual-Generations Program (BRIDGE): A Novel Parenting Program for Depressed Mothers of Preschoolers - Presenting Author: Leslie E. Roos, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Lauren Kaminski, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Shaelyn Stienwandt, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Sandra Hunter, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Ryan Giuliano, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Natalie Mota, University of Manitoba; Non-Presenting Author: Laurence Katz, Health Sciences Centre; Non-Presenting Author: Maureen Zalewski, University of Oregon

• DBT Parenting Intervention for Youth with Self-Harm - Presenting Author: Michele Berk, Stanford University

• In-Person and Telehealth Adapted DBT Parent Skills Group for Caregivers of Adolescents with Suicidality - Presenting Author: Kyrill Gurtovenko, University of Washington; Non-Presenting Author: Kalina Babeva, Seattle Children's; Non-Presenting Author: Hilary Mead, Seattle Children's; Non-Presenting Author: James Williamson, University Of Washington