Dialectical behaviour therapy ‘Skills for Living’ for young people leaving care: A qualitative exploration of participants’ experiences

Abstract

It is acknowledged that care leavers experience an accelerated transition into adulthood, despite often having complex psychosocial needs with limited support networks. The ‘Skills for Living’ programme was designed to improve the psychological wellbeing of care leavers and offers an adapted Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills group as its primary intervention. This paper provides a qualitative evaluation of the programme. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 10 participants, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Four key themes emerged: ‘Initial Apprehension and Reluctance to Participate’, ‘Connection, Understanding and Validation’, ‘Confidence with Social Skills’, and ‘Emotional Acceptance and Self-Soothing’. Clinical implications and recommendations are discussed.

Keywords

Care-leaver care-experienced child in care looked after child dialectical behaviour therapy skills

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Adley

Jupp Kina

(2017). Getting behind the closed door of care leavers: understanding the role of emotional support for young people leaving care. Child & Family Social Work, 22(1), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12203

Andrew

Williams

Waters

(2014). Dialectical behaviour therapy and attachment: Vehicles for the development of resilience in young people leaving the care system. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 19(4), 503–515. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104513508964

Braun

Clarke

(2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Dixon

(2008). Young people leaving care: health, well-being and outcomes. Child & Family Social Work, 13(2), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2206.2007.00538

Dumaret

A.-C.

Donati

Crost

(2011). After a long-term placement: investigating educational achievement, behaviour, and transition to independent living. Children & Society, 25(3), 215–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1099-0860.2009.00283.x

Gill

Warburton

Simes

Sweller

(2018). Group therapy for emotional dysregulation: Treatment for adolescents and their parents. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(2), 169–180. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-017-07510-8

Häggman-Laitila

Salokekkilä

Karki

(2019). Young people’s preparedness for adult life and coping after foster care: A systematic review of perceptions and experiences in the transition period. Child & Youth Care Forum, 48(5), 633–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-019-09499-4

Havlicek

J. R.

Garcia

A. R.

Smith

D. C.

(2013). Mental health and substance use disorders among foster youth transitioning to adulthood: Past research and future directions. Children and Youth Services Review, 35(1), 194–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.10.003

Hughes

D. A.

(2009). Attachment-focused parenting: Norton.

10.

Hughes

Golding

K. S.

Hudson

(2015). Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy (DDP): The development of the theory, practice and research base. Adoption & Fostering, 39(4), 356–365. https://doi.org/10.1177/030857591561

11.

James

A. C.

Winmill

Anderson

Alfoadari

(2011). A preliminary study of an extension of a community Dialectic Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programme to adolescents in the Looked After Care system. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 16(1), 9–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00571.x

12.

Liabo

McKenna

Ingold

Roberts

(2016). Leaving foster or residential care: A participatory study of care experienced young people’s experiences of health and social care transitions. Child: Care, Health and Development, 43(2), 182–191. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12426

13.

Linehan

M. M.

(1993). Cognitive-behavioral treatment of borderline personality disorder. Guilford Press.

14.

Linehan

(2015). DBT skills training manual (2nd Edition). The Guilford Press.

15.

McCauley

Berk

M. S.

Asarnow

J. R.

Adrian

Cohen

Korslund

Avina

Hughes

Harned

Gallop

Linehan

M. M.

(2018). Efficacy of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents at high risk for suicide: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 75(8), 777–785. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.1109

16.

Miller

A. L.

O’Brien

C. T.

(2019). DBT for multi-problem adolescents. In Friedberg

Paternostro

(Eds), Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for paediatric medical conditions. Autism and Child Psychopathology Series (pp. 119–136): Springer.

17.

Miller

A. L.

Rathus

J. H.

Linehan

M. M.

(2007). Dialectical behaviour therapy with suicidal adolescents. Guilford Press.

18.

Moretti

M. M.

Peled

(2004). Adolescent-parent attachment: Bonds that support healthy development. Paediatrics & Child Health, 9(8), 551–555. https://doi.org/10.1093/pch.9.8.551

19.

Rathus

Campbell

Miller

Smith

(2015). Treatment acceptability study of Walking The Middle Path, a new DBT Skills module for adolescents and their families. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 69(2), 163-178.

20.

Simkiss

(2019). The needs of looked after children from an adverse childhood experience perspective. Paediatrics and Child Health, 29(1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paed.2018.11.005

21.

Singh

S. P.

(2009). Transition of care from child to adult mental health services: The great divide. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 22(4), 386–390. https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0b013e32832c9221

22.

Stein

(2005). Resilience and young people leaving care: Overcoming the odds: Joseph Rowntree Foundation.