Exploring the utility of a rolling-admission dialectical behavior therapy skills group for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health concern for individuals with a breadth of identities in the US. The current study explored the effectiveness of a rolling-admission Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills group intervention for individuals who had experienced IPV. The participant sample was made up of 23 victims and survivors of IPV residing in the northern Colorado area. Data were collected at pre-intervention, 24 hours after each intervention, and one month after the final intervention attended for each participant. Participant demographics, PTSD symptoms, positive and negative affect, emotion regulation skills, self-efficacy, social connectedness, and diverse qualitative data were collected. Effect size, idiographic, and qualitative analyses were employed to analyze the data. Results demonstrated that various levels of attendance in a rolling-admission DBT skills group at a domestic violence shelter were associated with qualitative benefits and quantitative improvements on all outcome measures. In addition, participant attendance impacted effects on the outcome measures selected, but not such that participants who attended more interventions saw larger or more effects than those who attended fewer interventions. Finally, the qualitative data elucidated factors which increased the cultural appropriateness of the intervention, enhanced participant motivation, and were broadly considered strengths of the intervention itself. A variety of qualitative recommendations for the group intervention were also provided. Practical recommendations related to group therapy format and specific interventions are offered. The present study highlights the varying treatment needs of victims and survivors of IPV in relation to time since experiencing IPV-related stressors, symptom acuity, and life instability.