Evaluating the Effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Emotion Regulation and Reduction of Impulsive Behaviors in Patients with Borderline Personality Disorder

The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) in improving emotion regulation and reducing impulsive behaviors in patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). BPD is characterized by emotional instability, severe impulsivity, and high-risk behaviors, with deficits in emotion regulation playing a major role in the persistence of these symptoms. This research employed a quasi-experimental design with pretest–posttest and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all patients diagnosed with BPD who attended psychotherapy centers in Tehran in ۲۰۲۴. From this population, ۳۰ individuals were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = ۱۵) and a control group (n = ۱۵). The experimental group received eight sessions of DBT, while the control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the standard Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and analyzed using appropriate statistical methods, including multivariate analysis of covariance. The results showed that DBT led to a significant increase in emotion regulation and a significant reduction in impulsive behaviors in the experimental group compared to the control group. Additionally, subcomponents such as impulse control, emotional awareness, and emotion regulation strategies demonstrated noticeable improvement. The findings indicate that DBT can serve as an effective intervention for enhancing emotion regulation and reducing impulsivity in individuals with BPD. These results further support the importance of skill-based and acceptance–change-oriented therapeutic approaches in treating this clinical population.

Keywords:

Dialectical Behavior Therapy , emotion regulation , impulsive behaviors , borderline personality disorder