Day hospital treatment of emotional dysregulation: a quantitative analysis

Croft, Daryl Wayne

Brandon, Manitoba

Brandon University, Faculty of Health Studies

2021

69 pages

thesis

"Clinical trial #NCT04280614."
Includes bibliographical references (pages 42-49).
"In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychiatric Nursing."

English

Background: The literature provides evidence of numerous treatment models with varying effectiveness for this population of patients. The Short-term Assessment and Treatment (STAT) program has been operating at Health Sciences Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba is based on the principles of dialectical and cognitive behavior therapy. The STAT program is a five-week day hospital program that treats patients with emotional dysregulation. Method: The STAT program was examined using a quantitative analysis of naturalistic pre-pos-intervention model between September 2020 through February 2021. All individuals admitted to the STAT program were invited via email to participate in a research project and provided a link to the online survey. Participants were asked to complete two self-report surveys; the DERS and SCL90-R; and a demographics survey prior to beginning the STAT program and following completion of the program. Fourteen participants completed the survey at Time 1 and 2 and 14 only completed the self-report surveys at Time 1. Results: The clients reported statistically significant improvements from Time 1 to Time 2 on several variables. Consistent with other literature examining a similar patient population, participants experienced an improvement in obsessive compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, and phobic anxiety and all subscales of the DERS except lack of emotional awareness (LEMAW). Conclusion: There is some evidence to assert that the STAT program was effective in reducing emotional dysregulation. The participants reported improvements in the expected subscales from Time 1 to Time 2. Despite the pandemic and shift of the STAT program to virtual care, participants reported that they experienced improvements in emotional awareness, mood, and emotion regulation. None of the previously cited literature used a virtual care model. The results of this study may be an indication of the adaptability of DBT to virtual care treatment model.

Cognitive therapy--Manitoba--Winnipeg
Emotions
Anxiety--Treatment
Obsessive-compulsive disorder--Treatment

Brandon University
Faculty of Health Studies