Pilot Study.
Tamika C B Zapolski, Gregory T Smith
PMID 27742897WHAT IT FOUND
In 53 middle-school students, a 9-week DBT skills group was linked to lower intentions to take risks when happy.
Intentions when upset did not change clearly. No control group means this cannot show the group caused the change.
Key findings
01Intentions to engage in risky behaviors while in positive mood decreased significantly after the group (t(52) = -2.65, p < .01).
02Intentions to engage in risky behaviors while in negative mood showed only a marginally significant change (t(52) = -1.59, p = .06).
03Higher negative urgency was associated with steeper decreases in negative-mood risk intentions after treatment (r = -0.27, p < .05).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
There was no control group, so maturation, school changes, or other events could explain the pre-post changes. The study was a pilot with a small analysed sample. Twenty of 80 did not complete post-treatment, and 7 more were excluded, leaving 53 analysed. Participants were referred by school staff for behavioral or academic problems, and the study did not assess psychiatric diagnosis or prior treatment. Outcomes were self-reported intentions to engage in risky behaviors, not observed behavior, emotion regulation skills, or health risk behaviors. The intervention was delivered by clinical psychology doctoral students, not by nurses, so the study does not test nurse-delivered care. The group included emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal skills, and the study did not isolate which component produced the changes. The negative-mood outcome was only marginally significant, and the moderation effect was described as weak in magnitude.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the DBT group caused reduced risky behavior or that school nurses can deliver it effectively. The study had no control group, measured self-reported intentions rather than actual behavior, did not assess emotion regulation or health risk behavior changes, and the intervention was delivered by psychology trainees.