[Skill training and the post-treatment efficacy of dialectic behavior therapy six month after discharge of the hospital].

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are getting significantly better under inpatient Dialectic Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Several studies have shown the efficacy of DBT inpatient treatment for patients with BPD. Signs of the efficacy of DBT are mainly reduction of self-injurious behaviour and suicidality as well as reduction of clinical parameters such as depression and general symptom stress (SCL-90-R). In this catamnestic study we evaluated 38 former DBT-inpatients for continuous treatment effects of DBT. The results showed a significant reduction in depression as well as general symptom stress up to 6 month after discharge. Furthermore, these effects were positively correlated with the continuous use of DBT-skills 1 and 6 months after discharge. These skills are central part of DBT-treatment and are especially useful for managing high-tension, suicidality and self-injurious behaviour. Therefore, the use of skills is possibly the reason for the continuous effect of DBT after the end of inpatient treatment.