A Efficacy of Group Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Emotion Regulation and Irritability in Students with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a new diagnosis with multiple treatment challenges. The most prominent features of this disorder consist of behavioral as well as mood disruptions. There are very few treatment studies on DMDD. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on emotion regulation and irritability in students with disruptive mood disorders.

The current research was a semi-experimental type of pre-test-post-test with a control group. The statistical population of the research included all male students of the first secondary level of East Azarbaijan province who referred to the counseling centers of education and training departments in the academic year of 2020–2021. The study population included 30 students with disruptive mood disorders who were chosen through a nonprobability purposive sampling method. Emotional Affective Reactivity Index, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the clinical interview were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed through the statistical test of ANOVA with repeated measurements.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy was found to be significantly effective in reducing irritability and regulating emotions in students with disruptive mood dysregulation disorders (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the results revealed that the educational effect persisted throughout the follow-up period (P > 0.05).

According to the results of the research, dialectical behavior therapy can increase the awareness of the disruptive mood disorder sufferers about their problems and gain a more correct understanding in dealing with problems, especially in the interpersonal field. Therefore, in the field of treatment of disruptive mood disorder, dialectical behavior therapy can be implemented as part of the treatment plan.