Evaluation of a dialectical behavior therapy-informed partial hospital program: outcome data and exploratory analyses

The use of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) among a variety of programs and patients has recently exploded. Of particular interest is the use of DBT in partial hospital (PH) programs due to the high number of severely ill and suicidal patients who participate in these programs. Recently, Lothes, Mochrie and St. John (2014) examined data from a local DBT-informed PH program and found significant reductions in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and degree of suffering from intake to discharge. The present study examined these same four symptom constructs by assessing intake and discharge data for additional individuals enrolled in this DBT-informed PH program. In addition, lengths of stay and acuity ratings were analyzed to explore the relationship between these variables and symptom constructs. Significant symptom reduction in depression, anxiety, hopelessness, and degree of suffering from intake to discharge was found among high and medium acuity patients, replicating the results of Lothes et al. (2014). Further, individuals with the highest acuity saw the largest reduction in hopelessness symptoms the longer they participated in the program (i.e., a significant interaction effect between acuity and length of stay). This is meaningful given the connection between hopelessness and suicidal ideation/action, which is of particular concern for those charged with treating clinical populations. DBT-informed PH programs may be a cost-effective and useful way to treat high-risk patients who come from inpatient facilities. Future studies may wish to create follow-up periods (i.e., 3 months, 6 months) post-discharge to assess if symptom reduction remains.