Feasibility, Acceptability and Preliminary Efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Autistic Adults without Intellectual Disability: A Mixed Methods Study.

Researchers tested whether a therapy called DBT could help autistic adults who hurt themselves or have thoughts of suicide. DBT teaches skills for managing difficult emotions. Seven autistic adults tried this therapy. The results showed that participants found the therapy helpful and acceptable.

Their ability to manage emotions improved after treatment and was still better four months later. This is promising because many autistic adults struggle with managing emotions, which can lead to self-harm.

This mixed-methods study investigated whether Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) could be adapted for autistic adults without intellectual disability who experience self-harm and suicidal behaviors linked to emotion dysregulation. Seven participants completed the intervention. Results indicated that DBT was feasible to deliver and highly acceptable to participants. Significantly, scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale decreased both immediately post-treatment and at 4-month follow-up, suggesting potential efficacy for reducing emotion dysregulation in this population.

This preliminary research addresses a critical gap, as self-harm and suicidal behaviors are prevalent among autistic adults without intellectual disability, and emotion dysregulation has been identified as an important risk factor for these concerning behaviors.

DBT shows promise as an intervention for autistic adults experiencing emotion dysregulation, self-harm, and suicidal behaviors. The high acceptability suggests good therapeutic engagement. However, larger controlled trials are needed before clinical implementation. Clinicians should consider emotion dysregulation as a treatment target in this vulnerable population.

Very small sample size (n=7) limits generalizability. Study design unclear from abstract. No control group mentioned. Short follow-up period (4 months) prevents assessment of long-term outcomes. Preliminary nature requires replication in larger, controlled studies.

Self-harm and suicidal behaviors are prevalent among autistic adults without intellectual disability (ID). Emotion dysregulation (ED), the difficulty in modulating emotions, has been identified as an important risk factor. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been proved effective to treat ED in disorders other than autism spectrum disorder. Our study aimed at assessing the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of DBT in seven autistic adults without ID exhibiting self-harm and/or suicidal behaviors linked to severe ED.

Our results suggest that DBT is feasible and highly acceptable to autistic adults without ID. Additionally, mean scores on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale decreased significantly post-treatment and at 4-month follow-up, suggesting that DBT might be efficacious in reducing ED in this population.