Dialectical Behavior Therapy or DBT, is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Marsha Linehan to treat individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD). It has been shown to be effective in treating other disorders such as substance dependence, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and eating disorders. It is now recognized as a gold standard treatment, especially for those with BPD and chronically suicidal individuals.
DBT consists of two main components:
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Skills Training Group The group is run like a class with a group leader that teaches the skills and assigns homework for the clients. Groups typically meet weekly for about 2.5 hours to review their practice of these newly learned skills from the previous week, followed by learning of a new skill. The full curriculum takes 6 months to complete with clients often choosing to repeat the 6 months for a full year-long program.
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Individual Therapy Each participant of DBT also meets weekly with a DBT therapist on an individual basis. These sessions are meant to help discuss difficulties in practicing the skills and applying them to specific events or as a reinforcing of newly learned skills through discussion and practice.
DBT involves the use of diary cards (sometimes to be filled out multiple times a day) and group learning of skills broken down into several modules. These activities require lots of paper. The interaction of the user with both the diary cards and the skill resources can be built into an app which helps to track both completion and skill utilization. This enables an easier to access diary and skill resource so that the user may focus more on the important aspects of the treatment.
Additionally, those seeking help or have the desire to learn more about DBT do not have readily accessible sources of information beyond articles on the internet.
Competition and Current Opinions There are a several mental health related apps which aim to help the user treat or alleviate issues related to mood disorders. Specifically for DBT, there exists one android app and one iOS app.
The free android app (Dbt911) provides skills based on your selection and also has a diary interface. With this app it is not possible to access specific information for each skill but rather a finite list of ways to practice these skills are provided. Additionally, the diary function is limited to whatever options are listed with no ability to add or change fields. There is no ability to customize the app to your needs. The interface is difficult to understand and the app's uses are not very intuitive.
The iOS app (DBT Diary Card) is available for $4.99. While it seems pretty comprehensive, it is only available for those with Apple devices. The app was designed by Dr. Sammy Banawan of a private practice in Durham, NC. The app provides the ability for the user to enter in diary information for a particular day as well as customize fields. Additionally, the app has a coaching functionality which includes skills users have added to their 'Quick Skills' set.
Differentiation This web app will be comprehensive and inclusive of all the skills and modules taught in DBT with additional functionality for therapists to access graphical data to better understand and track behavioral changes of their patients. The app will also include a fully customizable diary card that can also be emailed to a therapist. Those using the app will be required to create an account so that they may save their information and access at a later date if needed and bookmark specific skills to reference later. The web application will be free and aims to provide information about DBT not only for those already enrolled but for those who are looking for learn about the benefits of this form of therapy and for programs near them.
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Curious about DBT: These are people who are seeking answers about DBT and who may have been suffering from BPD or chronic/severe depression. They're looking for ways they can get help with their mental illness but have not yet made the decision to seek out therapy. They are looking for avenues of information and help.
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DBT participants: Those going through the DBT program will get the most use out of the app. They are currently in the process of receiving therapy and need a better way to organize and use their diaries/skills beyond the usual paper and binder. They need reminders to practice and a reference for newly learned skills. They need a readily available diary card to fill out and take notes when skills are useful or not. These participants are technology savvy and prefer the use of a web interface. DBT participants are making a concerted effort to make changes in their behaviors in order to improve their lives.
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Therapists/Group Leaders: The therapist/group leader is seeking to track their patient's behavior changes. They want to ensure that the skills are being practiced and are effectively helping their patient.
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