The short answer is YES, the long answer can be found below...
Effectiveness of Dialectic
Behavioral Therapy
Dialectic
behavioral therapy is recognized as the top treatment choice for symptoms
associated with the borderline personality disorder including suicidal
ideations, self harm, emotional dysregulation, impulsivity and
interpersonal conflicts. Often associated with the treatment of choice for
borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT has been proven useful in the treatment of other
disorders.
Now for the research:
Cochrane
review is a database of systematic peer reviews and meta-analysis which
summarizes medical research. The Cochrane library contains resources for evidence
based practices in medicine including areas in mental health. Cochrane review
has declared DBT the most effective treatment for symptoms often classified as
BPD (Source: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD005652/psychological-therapies-for-borderline-personality-disorder),
however, the symptoms listed above are universal and can meet requirements for
other diagnostic criteria.
To
date, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy is the only treatment for the symptoms of
BPD that has enough outcome data and improvement rates to enable a Meta
analysis. A meta-analysis uses statistical data from individual studies,
looking at research as a whole (Source: http://www.cochrane-net.org/openlearning/html/mod12-2.htm).
Eighteen
randomized controlled trials have been published demonstrating the
effectiveness of DBT in populations with complex problems and disorders. Some
examples of past research include: In 1991, Linehan, Arm-strong, Suarez,
Allmon, and Heard conducted research using 18-45 year olds in an outpatient
setting. Subjects participated in 150 minute skills group including homework
for 12 months. The 1991 research study showed that parasuicidal behaviors were
more likely to start treatment, 83% completed treatment, and 60% maintained
lower parasuicidal behaviors (self harm) a year after treatment. (Source: http://behavioraltech.org/downloads/Research-on-DBT_Summary-of-Data-to-Date.pdf)
In
2011, Hirvikoski, Waaler, Alfredsson, Pihlgren, Johnson, Ruck,and Nordstrom
used 51 year olds diagnosed with ADHD in a Swedish outpatient psychiatric unit.
Two hours of DBT skills groups were the only course of treatment (without
individual or phone coaching) for 24 sessions and still participants showed
less symptoms of ADHD. (Source: http://behavioraltech.org/downloads/Research-on-DBT_Summary-of-Data-to-Date.pdf)
In
2010, Kroger, Schweiger, Sipos, Kliem, Arnold, Schunert and Reinecker used 24
to 31 year old with Anorexia and Bulimia in addition to Borderline Personality
Disorder. Participants competed three months of inpatient DBT program including
Weekly 1 hr individual therapy, 100
Minutes of skills group
3 times per week, and weekly consultation. At the 15 month follow up,
participants showed reduction in anorexia and bulimia symptoms (Source: http://behavioraltech.org/downloads/Research-on-DBT_Summary-of-Data-to-Date.pdf).
The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
published a summary of all evidence based practices and outcomes since 2006. In 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) created the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness research to
provide the most recent health care information by comparing different approaches
to managing health issues (including mental health). The purpose of National
registry of evidence based programs is to inform and educate and bring evidence
based awareness. DBT was mentioned as evidence for treatment of symptoms
associated with borderline personality disorder (Stoffers, Völlm at al. 2013).
References
Stoffers, Völlm at al.(2013), Psychological therapies for borderline
personality disorder, Cochrane Summary, Retrieved: http://summaries.cochrane.org/CD005652/psychological-therapies-for-borderline-personality-disorder),