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E u r o S c i C o n C o n f e r e n c e o n
PEDIATRICS
2017
Pediatrics 2017
Volume:3 Issue:4(Suppl)
Journal of Pediatric Care
ISSN 2471-805X
N o v e m b e r 1 3 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 7
L o n d o n , U K
Page 35
Background:
Chronic irritability and difficulty with self-
control may negatively affect child’s emotional, social and
cognitive development and are predictive of personality
disorders, dysphoric mood, substance and alcohol abuse,
suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury in adolescence and
adulthood. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for pre-adolescent
children (DBT-C) aims to facilitate adaptive responding by
teaching coping skills and encouraging caregivers to create
a validating and change-ready environment.
Method:
Two RCTs were conducted to examine feasibility and
initial efficacy of DBT-C. 1) In the NIMH funded RCT of DBT-C
for Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, 43 children (7-
12 years) were randomly assigned to DBT-C or TAU. Children
were provided with 32 individual sessions that included child
counselling, parent sessions and skills training.
2) In the Private Foundation funded RCT of DBT-C for children
in residential care, 47 children (7-12 years) were randomly
Dialectical
behaviour therapy
for pre-adolescent
children: current
evidence and future
direction
Francheska Perepletchikova
1
,
Donald Nathanson
1
and Seth
Axelrod
2
1
Weill Cornell Medical College, USA
2
Yale University School of Medicine, USA
J Pediatr Care 2017, 3:4(Suppl)
DOI: 10.21767/2471-805X-C1-003
assigned to DBT-C or TAU. Children were provided with 34
individual sessions, 48 group skills trainings and 12 parent
trainings.
Results:
1) Subjects in DBT-C attended 40.4% more sessions
than subjects in TAU. No subjects dropped out of DBT-C,
while 36.4% dropped from TAU. Further, 90.4% of children in
DBT-C responded to treatment compared to 45.5% in TAU,
on the Clinical Global Impression Scale. All changes were
clinically significant and sustained at 3-months follow-up.
2) In the residential care trial significant differences were
observed on the main measure of outcome – Child Behavior
Checklist (CBCL) staff report. Children in the DBT-C condition
as compared to TAU had significantly greater reduction in
symptoms on both Internalizing and Externalizing subscales.
All changes were clinically significant. Results were maintained
at 3- and 6-month follow-up.
Conclusions:
Results of both trials supported the feasibility and
initial efficacy of DBT adapted for pre-adolescent children with
severe emotional and behavioural dysregulation in multiple
settings.
frp2008@med.cornell.edu