Luisa Weiner, Doha Bemmouna, Madalina Elena Costache, Emilie Martz
{"title":"Dialectical Behavior Therapy in Autism.","authors":"Luisa Weiner, Doha Bemmouna, Madalina Elena Costache, Emilie Martz","doi":"10.1007/s11920-025-01596-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Recent research indicates that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is feasible, acceptable, and effective for autistic adults. This review aims to provide conceptual arguments and empirical evidence to support DBT as a relevant therapeutic alternative for autistic individuals experiencing emotion dysregulation (ED).</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>ED is frequent in autism whereby it is associated with severe mental health challenges. However, appropriate therapeutic options are limited. Currently, DBT has amassed the most evidence for treatment of ED across a range of clinical conditions, although it was originally developed for borderline personality disorder (BPD). In the context of autism, there is evidence supporting the efficacy of DBT for ED, life-threatening behaviors and depression, but adaptations are likely to improve its dissemination and acceptability. While similar biosocial factors seem to be involved in ED in BPD and autism, alexithymia is prominent in autism and autistic features such as sensory sensitivity and social overload also contribute to ED in autistic adults.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Given the significant impact of ED on the well-being of autistic adults, there is an urgent need to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms involved in ED in autism and the adaptations likely to improve the acceptability and dissemination of DBT for autistic people.</p>","PeriodicalId":11057,"journal":{"name":"Current Psychiatry Reports","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.5000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current Psychiatry Reports","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-025-01596-7","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose of review: Recent research indicates that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is feasible, acceptable, and effective for autistic adults. This review aims to provide conceptual arguments and empirical evidence to support DBT as a relevant therapeutic alternative for autistic individuals experiencing emotion dysregulation (ED).
Recent findings: ED is frequent in autism whereby it is associated with severe mental health challenges. However, appropriate therapeutic options are limited. Currently, DBT has amassed the most evidence for treatment of ED across a range of clinical conditions, although it was originally developed for borderline personality disorder (BPD). In the context of autism, there is evidence supporting the efficacy of DBT for ED, life-threatening behaviors and depression, but adaptations are likely to improve its dissemination and acceptability. While similar biosocial factors seem to be involved in ED in BPD and autism, alexithymia is prominent in autism and autistic features such as sensory sensitivity and social overload also contribute to ED in autistic adults.
Conclusion: Given the significant impact of ED on the well-being of autistic adults, there is an urgent need to enhance our understanding of the mechanisms involved in ED in autism and the adaptations likely to improve the acceptability and dissemination of DBT for autistic people.
期刊介绍:
This journal aims to review the most important, recently published research in psychiatry. By providing clear, insightful, balanced contributions by international experts, the journal intends to serve all those involved in the care of those affected by psychiatric disorders.
We accomplish this aim by appointing international authorities to serve as Section Editors in key subject areas, such as anxiety, medicopsychiatric disorders, and schizophrenia and other related psychotic disorders. Section Editors, in turn, select topics for which leading experts contribute comprehensive review articles that emphasize new developments and recently published papers of major importance, highlighted by annotated reference lists. An international Editorial Board reviews the annual table of contents, suggests articles of special interest to their country/region, and ensures that topics are current and include emerging research. Commentaries from well-known figures in the field are also provided.