Application of Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Disorders Other Than Borderline Personality Disorder: A Critical Review

Abstract

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has recently been used to treat disorders other than Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). Despite DBT’s widespread use, no paper summarizes its use for conditions other than BPD; therefore, a synthesis of the literature is warranted. In this paper, we aim to (a) briefly summarize the treatment and its empirical basis for treating BPD; (b) explore the theoretical underpinnings of the application of DBT beyond BPD; (c) review studies that implemented DBT for other forms of psychopathology, such as eating disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder; (d) discuss DBT’s use for comorbid conditions; (e) examine the applicability of components of DBT to supplement other treatments; and (f) provide a summary of the state of the literature and directions for future research. Our review suggests that although further randomized controlled studies are warranted to validate the efficacy of DBT for these and other disorders, the initial results seem promising.