Preliminary Evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Skills Training Class for High School Students

Abstract School mental health issues have become an increasingly important issue for our youth. Schools are a vital resource for providing prevention-based services to students. This study evaluated a pilot implementation of a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) based skills intervention in a single high school in the Midwest. The sample included a convenience sample of 39 students from three different teachers across three trimesters. Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, DBT skill use, dysfunctional coping, fidelity, and intervention attendance information were collected. We used a hybrid fixed effects/multi-level model to evaluate the effects of the intervention (McNeish, 2023). Students increased their use of DBT-based skills ( b = 0.18, SE = 0.07), decreased their use of dysfunctional coping skills ( b = -0.12, SE = 0.07), and increased their overall SEL skills ( b = 2.59, SE = 2.02). There were significant differences in implementation fidelity across teachers ( $$\:{\eta\:}^{2}$$ = 0.18); however, only one teacher in one trimester had implementation fidelity slightly below 90%. Lastly, there were non-significant correlations between attendance, previous DBT exposure, and gender on changes in SEL, DBT skill use, or dysfunctional coping. Limitations and future research are discussed.