The effect of dialectical behavior therapy skills on self-criticism and self-compassion of adolescent girls with a history of self-injury

Due to the high rate of self-injury in adolescents in 2022 and its destructive effect, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of dialectical behavior therapy on self-criticism and self-compassion of adolescents with a history of self-injury behaviors.

The design of the present study is a single-subject experiment with several baselines. For this purpose, 3 female adolescents in Shiraz with a history of self-injury behaviors were selected by purposive sampling. Research tools included self-criticism questionnaires (FSCRS) of Gilbert et al., Neff Self-compassion questionnaires (SCS), and structured clinical interviews for personality disorders (SCID-5 PD). Each person was randomly assigned to the baseline stage over a period of two, three, or four weeks. They then received 16 sessions of treatment and then a follow-up after one month.

Dialectical behavior therapy was effective in reducing self-criticism and increasing self-compassion in all three clients after treatment, but the stability of the treatment effect remained only for the first and second clients.

It seems that the application of dialectical behavior therapy skills with the cooperation and support of parents can be associated with a decrease in self-criticism and increased self-compassion of female adolescents with a history of self-injury behaviors