Editorial: Dialectical Behavior Therapy and the Function of Self-Injury

Abstract

The study by Asarnow et al.¹ is the third major paper from a large, federally funded, randomized, controlled trial of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) as compared to Individual and Group Supportive Therapy (IGST) for reducing self-injury in teens. The first paper established the superiority of DBT as compared to IGST.² The second paper focused on predictors and moderators of treatment outcome.³ The goal of this, the third, publication¹ is to identify the mechanism by which DBT is effective in reducing suicidal and self-injurious behavior in an at-risk group of adolescents. The value of DBT in reducing suicidal behavior is increasingly important as we face what appears to be a rise in attempt rates and suicide deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.⁴.