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LGBTQ+

Culturally Modifed DBT Skills Group Compared to General DBT Skills Group for Transgender and Gender Non-Binary (TGNB) Adults

(PS7-A9) Culturally Modifed DBT Skills Group Compared to General DBT Skills Group for Transgender and Gender Non-binary (TGNB) Adults

Saturday, November 18, 2023
8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PST
Location: Regency Ballroom, Level 7
Mental health disparities between transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) adults and their cisgender peers are widely documented in the literature.Transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) adults have significantly higher rates of emotion regulation difficulties and suicidality than cisgender peers (Bockting et al., 2020; Haas et al., 2010; Valente et al., 2020). Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) is a promising treatment option for these mental health challenges (Solan & Berke, 2017), and in fact, LGBTQ patients are overrepresented in DBT RCTs (Harned et al., 2022). While parts of DBT have been “queered” for work with TGNB populations, queer-adapted DBT has not been studied empirically (Sloan et al., 2017). In this ongoing pilot study, TGNB adults (N=7) with histories of emotion dysregulation participate in a 36-week DBT Skills Group - some in a queer-adapted Skills Group (N=4) with other LGBTQ adults, and some in a non-adapted, general population Skills Group (N=3). Before and after treatment, participants complete the Ways of Coping Checklist (WCCL), a measure of coping skills use and dysfunctional coping strategies, and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), a measure of emotion dysregulation. On the DBT-WCCL Individual Use of DBT Skills Use scale the Modified Group scored (M=2.33 SD=16.50) and the General Skills Group scored (M=34.0 SD=19.46). On the DBT-WCCL Individual Use of Dysfunctional Coping Strategies scale, the Modified Group scored (M=7.0 SD=9.84), and the General Skills Group scored (M=.66 SD=4.72). On the DERS, the Modified Group scored (M=33.0 SD=40.14) and the General Skills Group (M=36.33 SD=19.03).  Thus far, TGNB participants in both groups have shown reductions in emotion dysregulation and dysfunctional coping and increases in DBT skills use, comparable with the general population. While participants saw similar results in both groups, they reported that they preferred the LGBTQ Affirming group. The participants further reported they would prefer a Transgender and Gender Non-Binary DBT group to discuss their unique experiences within the LGBTQ community. This current study was limited by a small sample size. However, the pilot study data provides insight into an area that has not been empirically explored. Ongoing research will examine outcome differences between adapted and non-adapted DBT skills groups for TGNB adults.