A Novel Form of DBT for PTSD from Childhood Trauma

For women with post-traumatic stress disorder from childhood abuse and some borderline symptoms, a modified version of dialectical behavioral therapy was helpful.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially when it is related to childhood abuse, has a poor response to standard treatments, especially in the 50% of patients who have comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD). In a multisite study, researchers randomized 193 women in Germany (mean age, 36) with affective instability and at least two other BPD features plus PTSD associated with childhood abuse to a standard or a new psychotherapy for PTSD.

The women had experienced an average of 7 years of childhood abuse beginning at a mean age of 8. Dialectical behavior therapy for PTSD (DBT-PTSD) consisted of DBT, supplemented by trauma-informed cognitive-behavioral therapy and techniques from compassion-focused therapy and acceptance and com…

Reviewing Author

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

Steven Dubovsky, MD

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportTower Foundation; Patrick Lee Foundation; Boehringer Ingelheim; Intra-Cellular Therapies; Janssen; Biogen; Allergan

Editorial BoardsMind and Brain; Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic; Current Psychiatry; Journal of Psychosomatic Research

A Novel Form of DBT for PTSD from Childhood Trauma

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Reviewing Author