The Effects of Dialectical Behavior Therapy Group Program on Emotion Dysregulation, Mindfulness, and Distress Tolerance in Female Middle School Students

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) group program on mindfulness, emotional dysregulation, and distress tolerance in female middle school students experiencing difficulties with emotion regulation. Methods A group program consisting of 10 sessions was conducted, and to assess the program's effectiveness, 24 female students from OO Middle School in D Metropolitan City, who experienced emotion regulation difficulties, were assigned to either an experimental group (12 people) or a control group (12 people). The measurement tools used were the Emotion Regulation Difficulties Scale, the Mindfulness Scale, and the Pain Tolerance Scale. Assessments were conducted at pre-test, post-test, and follow-up points. Results The results showed that, in the experimental group, levels of mindfulness and pain tolerance increased post-test compared to pre-test, and emotion regulation difficulties decreased. This indicates that the program was effective, and these effects were maintained at the follow-up point. In contrast, no significant differences were found in the pre-test, post-test, or follow-up scores of the control group. Conclusions The DBT group program reduced emotion regulation difficulties and increased mindfulness and pain tolerance levels in middle school girls with emotion regulation difficulties. These effects were maintained even at the follow-up point.