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Dialectical behaviour Therapy for People with a Learning Disability: An overview
Dr Lesley LeedsSenior Clinical Psychologist Learning Disability Services
Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
Plan
The problem How did we get a service going? What is DBT How can DBT be useful for people
with learning disabilities? Adapting and using DBT Experiential teaching – some
adapted skills on managing affect – just say CHEESE
The Problem & Context
Historically: People with learning disabilities (and those
working in services) excluded from research and practice
Limited evidence base for psychological interventions
Limited access to psychological therapies
Who actually gets any treatment? Can these treatments really work?
There is a clinical problem out there….
Placement breakdown Out of county placements Complex case list Staff burnout Competence issues Cost to organisation Cost to individual and their family
Every CLDT has people with complex emotional and behavioural problems
Some will end up with PD diagnosis or have traits of PD
What do we do to help them (and those around them)? Doubly untreatable? (double jeopardy
problems) Revolving door individuals (social
workers, nurses, doctors, therapists)
Who has heard this?
People with PD are:
UntreatableManipulativeAttention-seekingSelfishDraining
“There’s not much we can do to help”
“I don’t know how to help that person”
“These PD people are nothing but a drain on resources”
“I don’t like to work with people like that”
“It’s not within my skill base”
There are often assumptions that PWLD should somehow be more skilful
And wouldn’t be behaving like this if they didn’t have a learning disability!!
Not true!It is their learning and life experience that has led to
the problems…
The first day of the psychology career…
Rapid intro to PD and heavy duty problems
Marsha Linehan became my bedtime reading..
Desire to work ‘psychologically’ Long and winding road…
OMG!!!
A chance to do something proper..
Opportunities for DBT training in 2011 A small team formed (n = 4) Audit across BCUHB – yes the cases are
out there Management approval (no mean feat) Adapted materials (no mean feat either) Started delivering skills training in Jan
2012 The start of a small but strong service……
Current position
Competence and confidence One established DBT team
Delivering DBT in one community setting
‘Seeding out’ of other teams
The near future
Current Ongoing service development in BCUHB to bring equity in services
Further staff training in 2014
Increasing access to Psychological Therapies in North Wales for people with learning disabilities
UK Position
There are only 3 other community DBT teams in UK specific to LD (British Isles DBT data)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: in a nutshell...
Designed to address severe and persistent problem behaviours; that arise due to emotional and behavioural difficulties experienced by an individual.
DBT focuses on the acceptance and changing of problematic thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
The person is encouraged to believe and make changes to build a life a worth living.
DBT can help treat self harm, suicide, violence, non compliance, substance abuse, food issues, severe emotional difficulties and post traumatic stress.
Where does this treatment come from?
DBT was originally used for the treatment of women diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, that engaged in self harming and suicidal behaviours.
DBT was initially used in community settings, now is being implemented in inpatient and forensic settings.
DBT originated from the Bio-Social Theory of personality functioning
Building evidence base in LD
10 DBT treatment teams in LD services in UK (in and outpatient)
A note on the biosocial theory
Biological propensity some… Temperament Invalidation or Abuse all?
Emotional layer of skin missing – everything little thing burns - sensitivity
Philosophy of DBT
DBT is:
Dialectical Supportive Cognitive Behavioural Skill orientated Balances acceptance and change Requires a collaborative relationship
All the features of a therapy well suited to people with learning disabilities
Aims of DBT
DBT aims to decrease extreme emotions, thinking and behaviours into more balanced responses to current situations.
DBT teaches clients to develop and refine skills in order to change problematic behavioural, emotional and thinking patterns that are causing misery and distress.
Behaviours to decrease
Behaviours to increase
Self dysregulation
Core mindfulness skills
Interpersonal dysregulation
Interpersonal effectiveness skills
Emotional dysregulation
Emotional regulation skills
Behavioural and cognitive dysregulation
Distress tolerance skills
Four Main DBT Skills
Core Mindfulness: - Teaches attention to the present moment and self
awareness. - Helps people be in control of their mind, be aware of
their thoughts and feelings at any one time, and think things through properly before acting.
Interpersonal Effectiveness: - Teaches interpersonal skills, to help deal with conflict
situations and to get on with others, get what you want in a way that maintains self respect and build and keep effective relationships with others.
- Emotional Regulation: - Teaches how to identify and describe emotions, how to
reduce vulnerability to negative emotions and how to increase positive emotions.
Distress Tolerance: - Teaches strategies of how to tolerate distress, without
engaging in impulsive and self destructive behaviours. Focuses on distraction and self soothing techniques, and strategies to radically accept traumatic events in their lives.
How is our DBT programme made up?
Individual Therapy Focus on analysis of (and decrease) problem behaviours,
increase effective coping skills, focus on motivational issues and work towards defined treatment goals.
Weekly hourly sessions Skills Training Group Teaching of behavioural skills to increase capability Weekly sessions for two hours for one year
Consultation Meeting Supervision for therapists to support their practice A community of therapists treating a group of individuals
Support Worker skill strengthening Support workers attend group and reinforce and praise skill use
out of sessions In lieu of telephone out of hours service
Why is DBT useful for people with learning disabilities?
On an individual level:
A life saving and life enhancement treatment
Validates the person’s difficulties Teaches people skills to cope with and
change a range of problem behaviours Enhances capability Teaches people to accept things that
cannot be changed
Why is DBT useful for people with learning disabilities?
On a team level:
Teaches the staff on the ground to model, encourage and praise appropriate skills
Gives a framework for professionals to cope with problem behaviours
Change in attitude about treatability
Why is DBT useful for people with learning disabilities?
On a strategic level:
Costs the organisation less money Keeps people in their community
placement (and often out of hospital) Increases workforce capability
Adapting this treatment for our clients
DBT is a complex model for therapists and clients alike
Essential to make it accessible for those with learning disabilities
For more information, contact me directly on [email protected]
Doesn’t this just dilute the treatment?
The core model and principals are the same
What good is any therapy if the client has no idea what you are talking about?!! No matter how fancy it seems
Core DBT skills
Mindfulness Interpersonal effectiveness Emotional regulation Distress tolerance
Reducing vulnerability to emotion mind
How many of us have:
Shouted at someone else when tired?
Been grumpy because you missed lunch?
Not functioned well because you were ill?
Got hacked off because you were bored?
Felt that you were no good at something?
We are all vulnerable to emotion mind
When you have emotional sensitivity and problems coping, this happens a lot more to you
Hot Mind/Emotion MindHot Mind/Emotion Mind
Hot Mind – this is when your emotions Hot Mind – this is when your emotions take control – when your emotions are in take control – when your emotions are in charge of your thinking and how you charge of your thinking and how you behave.behave.
This is the problem bit for all of us!!This is the problem bit for all of us!!
CoolMind
Hot Mind
Calm Mind
In an ideal world…we would be here
When you feel the emotion, but it does
not take over
This comes from PLEASE MASTER emotional regulation skills (Linehan, 1993)
Treat PhysicaL illnessBalance EatingAvoid mood-Altering drugsBalance SleepGet Exercise
Build mastery – try to do one thing a day to make yourself feel competent and in control
Staying out of ‘Hot Mind’
C = ‘Can Do’
Every day do something you ‘can do’ - something you’re good at
Staying out of ‘Hot Mind’
H = Health
Take care of your body See a doctor if you are ill Take your medication Avoid drugs and alcohol
Of all the DBT skills taught..
This is the one the clients remember and use the most
Such basic, yet important skills
DBT has been a valid and useful intervention for people with mild LD in North Wales
Reductions in:
Self harm/suicidal behaviours
Aggression/threatening behaviours
Over-eating Seriously destabilising
behaviours Hospital admissions
Increase in:
Client capability Staff capability Placement duration Availability of
psychological therapies for PWLD