DBT review finds depression improvement, while adjusted anger results remain uncertain
Among adults with borderline personality disorder, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was linked to lower depression scores. The anger result became statistically uncertain after an analytical adjustment.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Standard DBT was linked to lower depression scores after treatment in adults with borderline personality disorder. Anger expression also favored DBT initially, but that result was no longer statistically significant after adjustment. Few trials and substantial differences between studies limit confidence in the size and consistency of these effects.
Few trials and high variation between their results limited the analysis. The abstract does not describe control treatments or establish whether improvements persisted after therapy.
What researchers found
Post-treatment depression; standardized mean difference
Lower depression scores with DBT than comparison conditions after trials spanning 8 weeks to 12 months. Control treatments were not specified.
What the difference measures
The review combined controlled trials using validated depression and anger measures. Standardized differences express score differences relative to variation in scores, using standard-deviation units rather than questionnaire points or a percentage improvement.
Why the adjustment matters
An adjustment to the anger analysis widened the confidence interval to include no difference between groups. That makes the result statistically inconclusive, while still leaving open the possibility of benefit.
The original publication
Effect of dialectical behavior therapy on affective symptoms in borderline personality disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Li Y, Mao W
Psychiatry Res · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41819776
- Record checked
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