Intensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Self-Harm and Suicidal Behavior in Youth: A Pilot Study

The prevalence of self-harm and suicidal behavior among adolescents has increased dramatically over the past two decades-a fourfold rise that represents both a severe personal burden and a substantial public health challenge. Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) is the gold-standard treatment; however, the standard 20-week format is resource-intensive and time-consuming, which limits accessibility. An intensive 4-week DBT (I-DBT) program has been developed that may improve access and reach a larger number of adolescents. The investigators now seek to evaluate its feasibility and preliminary outcomes. The investigators will assess the feasibility of I-DBT in two to three adolescent groups comprising a total of 8-12 participants and their caregivers in spring and autumn 2026, examining recruitment, feasibility, and outcome measures such as self-harm, suicide attempts, acute hospital admissions, depression, and quality of life, as well as treatment dropout. The investigators aim to use the feedback to make necessary adjustments before broader testing of the I-DBT intervention.

NCT Number	NCT07450105
Lead Sponsor	Haukeland University Hospital Collaborators: Helse Fonna Hospital Trust, Helse Forde Hospital Trust, Helse Stavanger Hospital Trust
Conditions	Self-Harm, Deliberate, Suicidal Behavior, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Enrollment	12 participants
Start Date	2026-03-02
Primary Completion	2026-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-03-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-13