IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i1p494-d716565.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Preventing Emotional Dysregulation: Acceptability and Preliminary Effectiveness of a DBT Skills Training Program for Adolescents in the Spanish School System

Author

Listed:
  • Xavier Gasol

    (Borderline Personality Disorder Institute Foundation, 08221 Terrassa, Spain)

  • María Vicenta Navarro-Haro

    (Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, 44003 Teruel, Spain
    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IISA), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Isabel Fernández-Felipe

    (Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain)

  • Azucena García-Palacios

    (Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain
    CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), ISCIII CB06/03/0052 Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Carlos Suso-Ribera

    (Department of Basic Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, 12071 Castellón de la Plana, Spain
    CIBER of Physiopathology of Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN), ISCIII CB06/03/0052 Instituto Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Miquel Gasol-Colomina

    (Borderline Personality Disorder Institute Foundation, 08221 Terrassa, Spain)

Abstract

Emotional dysregulation is a key factor in the development and maintenance of multiple disabling mental disorders through a person’s lifespan. Therefore, there is an urgent need to prevent emotional dysregulation as early as possible. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of an adapted Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Training program for Emotional Problem Solving in Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A) during secondary school. The sample included 93 adolescents (mean age = 12.78; SD = 0.54; and 53% female) studying in their 2nd year of secondary school in a public center in Catalonia (Spain). Measures of acceptability, difficulties of emotional regulation, mental health problems, and life satisfaction were completed before and after participation in the DBT STEPS-A program during one academic year. The majority of students rated the program as useful (64%) and enjoyed the classes (62%) and 48% of them reported practicing the newly learned skills. Statistically significant improvements were revealed in some emotional regulation-related variables, namely the number of peer problems ( p = 0.003; d = 0.52) and prosocial behaviors ( p < 0.001; d = −0.82). Although non-significant, the scores in the remaining outcomes indicated a general positive trend in emotional dysregulation, mental health, and life satisfaction. The adapted DBT STEPS-A was very well-accepted and helped overcome some emotional regulation difficulties in Spanish adolescents.

Suggested Citation

  • Xavier Gasol & María Vicenta Navarro-Haro & Isabel Fernández-Felipe & Azucena García-Palacios & Carlos Suso-Ribera & Miquel Gasol-Colomina, 2022. "Preventing Emotional Dysregulation: Acceptability and Preliminary Effectiveness of a DBT Skills Training Program for Adolescents in the Spanish School System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-14, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:494-:d:716565
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/494/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/1/494/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Browne, Gina & Gafni, Amiram & Roberts, Jacqueline & Byrne, Carolyn & Majumdar, Basanti, 2004. "Effective/efficient mental health programs for school-age children: a synthesis of reviews," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 58(7), pages 1367-1384, April.
    2. Silvia Gabrielli & Silvia Rizzi & Sara Carbone & Enrico Maria Piras, 2021. "School Interventions for Bullying–Cyberbullying Prevention in Adolescents: Insights from the UPRIGHT and CREEP Projects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-13, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cheung, Chau-kiu & Lee, Tak-yan, 2010. "Improving social competence through character education," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 255-263, August.
    2. Kenigsberg, Tat'Yana A. & Winston, Willie & Gibson, Priscilla A. & Brady, Sonya S., 2016. "African American caregivers' resources for support: Implications for children's perceived support from their caregiver," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 337-344.
    3. Joakim Wahlström & Sara Brolin Låftman & Bitte Modin & Petra Löfstedt, 2021. "Psychosocial Working Conditions in School and Life Satisfaction among Adolescents in Sweden: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-12, May.
    4. Omar A. Alismaiel, 2023. "Digital Media Used in Education: The Influence on Cyberbullying Behaviors among Youth Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-19, January.
    5. Cheung, Chau-kiu & Ngai, Steven Sek-yum, 2015. "Four- and ten-month lagged effects of individual counseling on the prosocial behavior of young people," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 89-96.
    6. Kristiina Puolakka & Anne Konu & Irma Kiikkala & Eija Paavilainen, 2014. "Mental Health Promotion in School: Schoolchildren’s and Families’ Viewpoint," Nursing Research and Practice, Hindawi, vol. 2014, pages 1-10, November.
    7. Valentina Tobia & Andrea Greco & Patrizia Steca & Gian Marco Marzocchi, 2019. "Children’s Wellbeing at School: A Multi-dimensional and Multi-informant Approach," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 20(3), pages 841-861, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:1:p:494-:d:716565. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.