Implementation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy with Suicidal and Self-Harming Adolescents in a Community Clinic

Life is precious: A quasi-experimental study of a community-based program to prevent suicide among Latina adolescents in New York City

INTRODUCTION

Rising rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) among U.S. Latina adolescents urgently need attention. Life is Precious (LIP) is a culturally responsive, community-based, afterschool-model program offering wellness-support services to supplement outpatient mental health treatment for Latina adolescents experiencing STB's. This 12-month quasi-experimental pilot study explored LIP's impact on clinical outcomes.

METHODS

Latina adolescents newly enrolled in LIP and receiving outpatient treatment (n = 31) and those newly starting outpatient treatment only (n = 12; Usual Care) were assessed for Suicidal Ideation (Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire; SIQ) and depressive symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-9). We estimated differences in mean scores using longitudinal linear mixed models and adjusted risk ratios (ARRs) of SIQ-25%, SIQ-50%, and PHQ-9-5-point improvements using exact logistic models.

RESULTS

The direction of the estimated impact of LIP was positive [differences (95% CIs): -15.5 (-34.16, 3.15) for SIQ; -1.16 (-4.39, 2.07) for PHQ-9], with small-to-moderate nonsignificant effect sizes (0.19-0.34). LIP participants saw two to three times higher prevalence than controls of SIQ-25%, SIQ-50%, and PHQ-9-5-point improvements; ARRs (95% CIs) were 1.91 (0.61, 3.45), 3.04 (0.43, 11.33), and 1.97 (0.44, 5.07), respectively. Suicidal behaviors also decreased in LIP.

CONCLUSION

The effects of LIP were in positive directions across clinical outcomes, warranting further research on its effectiveness in decreasing STBs.

The State of the Science: Dialectical Behavior Therapy

The first randomized clinical trial of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for women with borderline personality disorder was published in 1991. Over the past 30 years, research on DBT has proliferated along with interest by clinicians and the public. In this State of the Science review, we provide a brief description of the treatment paradigm and its conceptual and theoretical underpinnings. We also briefly review the research conducted to date on DBT across populations and settings, the vast majority of which demonstrates that it is effective at treating the behaviors that it targets. We also argue that, although DBT has been established as a "gold-standard" treatment for certain populations and behaviors, there is much more research needed to answer critical questions and improve its efficacy.

Caregiver Involvement in Psychotherapy for Young People With Borderline Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder Features: A Systematic Review

Caregivers of young people with borderline personality disorder (BPD) or BPD features experience significant burden and distress and often lack effective coping strategies. A family environment of pervasive invalidation can contribute to the disorder and work against effective coping. Consequently, some psychotherapy interventions for young people with BPD or BPD features aim to incorporate caregivers in treatment to varying degrees. This review synthesised results of existing studies that included caregivers in psychotherapy alongside their young person and that examined caregiver outcomes using quantitative measures. The review and literature search were conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Searches of five databases returned a total of 2988 articles, of which 10 met inclusion criteria and only two of which were RCTs. Seven used a dialectical behaviour therapy approach, two used brief psychoeducation, and one was an online social group. Articles examined changes in caregivers regarding treatment feasibility and satisfaction, emotion communication, perceived knowledge of BPD and caregiver mental health, burden and stress. Although there are few studies and results are limited by considerable methodological limitations, results suggest that including caregivers in treatment alongside young people, even in a brief capacity, may improve caregiver outcomes on several measures. Inclusion of caregivers is conceptually particularly pertinent for BPD for young people, and this review reveals important clinical implications and clear future research directions.

Psychological interventions for suicidal behavior in adolescents: a comprehensive systematic review

BACKGROUND

Recent evidence indicates that the risk of death by suicide in teenagers has increased significantly worldwide. Consequently, different therapeutic interventions have been proposed for suicidal behavior in this particular population. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to provide an updated review of the existing psychological interventions for the treatment of suicide attempts (SA) in adolescents and to analyze the efficacy of such interventions.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. The studies were identified by searching PubMed, PsychINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from 2016 to 2022. According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 40 studies that tested the efficacy of different psychological interventions were selected.

RESULTS

Various psychological interventions for adolescents with suicidal behaviors were identified. Most of those present promising results. However, to summarize results from recent years, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was the most common and the only treatment shown to be effective for adolescents at high risk of suicide and SA. In contrast, empirical evidence for other psychological interventions focusing on deliberate self-harm (SH) is inconclusive.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions specifically designed to reduce suicidal risk in adolescents have multiplied significantly in recent years. There are a few promising interventions for reducing suicidal behaviors in adolescents evaluated by independent research groups. However, replication and dismantling studies are needed to identify the effects of these interventions and their specific components. An important future challenge is to develop brief and effective interventions to reduce the risk of death by suicide among the adolescent population.

Socio-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Latinx Adolescent with Suicidal Behaviors: A Pilot Randomized Trial

Evidence-based treatment for Latinx/Hispanic (L/H) with suicidal behaviors (SB) is scarce. This study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a socio-cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol for SB (SCBT-SB) with L/H adolescents and the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of SCBT-SB compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU). A pilot RCT was conducted with 46 L/H teens. The target outcomes included suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SAs), and depressive/internalizing symptoms. Results indicated that the SCBT-SB was acceptable and an RCT with diverse L/H families is feasible to implement. Within group analyses showed reductions over time for each group in SI and depressive/internalizing symptoms. Intent-to-treat between-group analyses showed a medium effect for the SCBT-SB at the twelve-month follow-up for depressive/internalizing symptoms and a large effect for SA. Although results must be interpreted cautiously given the small sample size, outcomes suggest that SCBT-SB may be a promising psychosocial treatment for depressive/internalizing symptoms, and SAs in L/H youth.

Barriers and Facilitators to Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills Groups in the Veterans Health Administration

INTRODUCTION

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is a multimodal evidence-based suicide prevention psychotherapy with barriers to full implementation. This study qualitatively examined barriers and facilitators to the DBT skills group treatment mode, which can be implemented as a stand-alone intervention. Using data from a national mixed-methods program evaluation of DBT in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), this is the first article to examine barriers and facilitators to DBT skills groups implemented with a DBT consultation team or as a stand-alone intervention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A subset of data from semi-structured telephone interviews of six clinicians and three administrators (n = 9 respondents) was analyzed to provide complementarity and expansion on prior quantitative findings. The data were coded using an iterative process based on content analysis and a codebook based on the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services framework. The study was approved by the institutional review board for the Palo Alto VA Health Care System.

RESULTS

Barriers and facilitators were organized by Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services domains of evidence, context, and facilitation. Results showed how reduced leadership support and low receptivity to providing DBT skills groups functioned as barriers and also identified a barrier not described earlier in the literature: the perception that this group could conflict with expanding access to care for more veterans. The results showed how leadership supported implementation, including by mapping clinic grids and supporting training, and also revealed how a supportive culture among providers facilitated division of labor between skills group providers, and how offering a treatment that filled a gap in services supported the group. At some sites, a provider with prior DBT experience was instrumental in starting DBT skills groups or developing ongoing training.

CONCLUSIONS

Qualitatively analyzed barriers and facilitators to a group-delivered suicide prevention intervention, DBT skills groups, expanded on quantitative findings on the importance of leadership support, culture, and training as facilitators. Future work implementing DBT skills group as a stand-alone treatment will need to address the barrier of receptivity and perceived barriers about access to care.

Implementation Feasibility and Hidden Costs of Statewide Scaling of Evidence-Based Therapies for Children and Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

State mental health systems are retraining their workforces to deliver services supported by research. Knowledge about evidence-based therapies (EBTs) for child and adolescent disorders is robust, but the feasibility of their statewide scaling has not been examined. The authors reviewed implementation feasibility for 12 commonly used EBTs, defining feasibility for statewide scaling as an EBT having at least one study documenting acceptability, facilitators and barriers, or fidelity; at least one study with a racially and ethnically diverse sample; an entity for training, certification, or licensing; and fiscal data reflecting the costs of implementation.

METHODS

The authors reviewed materials for 12 EBTs being scaled in New York State and conducted a literature review with search terms relevant to their implementation. Costs and certification information were supplemented by discussions with treatment developers and implementers.

RESULTS

All 12 EBTs had been examined for implementation feasibility, but only three had been examined for statewide scaling. Eleven had been studied in populations reflecting racial-ethnic diversity, but few had sufficient power for subgroup analyses to demonstrate effectiveness with these samples. All had certifying or licensing entities. The per-clinician costs of implementation ranged from $500 to $3,500, with overall ongoing costs ranging from $100 to $6,000. A fiscal analysis of three EBTs revealed hidden costs ranging from $5,000 to $24,000 per clinician, potentially limiting sustainability.

CONCLUSIONS

The evidence necessary for embedding EBTs in state systems has notable gaps that may hinder sustainability. Research-funding agencies should prioritize studies that focus on the practical aspects of scaling to assist states as they retrain their workforces.

Factors Associated With Reasons for Living Among Suicidal Adolescents

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to identify baseline demographic and clinical factors associated with higher scores on the Reasons for Living Inventory for Adolescents (RFL-A) at baseline and over follow-up.

METHOD

Using data from a pilot clinical trial of a brief intervention for suicidal youth transitioning from inpatient to outpatient, we identified univariate associations of baseline characteristics with RFL-A and used regression to identify the most parsimonious subset of these variables. Finally, we examined to what extent changes in these characteristics over time were related to changes in RFL-A.

RESULTS

Univariate analyses found that better external functional emotion regulation and social support were associated with higher RFL-A scores; more self-reported depression, internal dysfunctional emotion regulation, sleep disturbance, anxiety, and distress tolerance were associated with lower RFL-A scores. Multiple linear regression identified internal dysfunctional emotion regulation and external functional emotion regulation as the most parsimonious set of characteristics associated with RFL-A. Improvement in internal emotion regulation, sleep, and depression were related to improvements in RFL-A over time.

CONCLUSION

Our findings indicate that emotion regulation-specifically maladaptive internal strategies and use of external resources-is strongly associated with RFL-A. Improvements in internal emotion regulation (r = 0.57), sleep (r = -0.45), and depression (r = -0.34) were related to increases in RFL-A.

Benchmarks for dialectical behavioural therapy intervention in adults and adolescents with borderline personality symptoms

Background

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a multi-component cognitive behavioural intervention with proven efficacy in treating people with borderline personality disorder symptoms. Establishing benchmarks for DBT intervention with both adults and adolescents is essential for bridging the gap between research and clinical practice, improving teams' performance and procedures.

Aim

This study aimed to establish benchmarks for DBT using the EQ-5D, Borderline Symptoms List (BSL) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) for adults and adolescents.

Methods

After searching four databases for randomised controlled trials and effectiveness studies that applied standard DBT to people with borderline symptoms, a total of 589 studies were included (after duplicates' removal), of which 16 met our inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis and respective effect-size pooling calculations (Hedges-g) were undertaken, and heterogeneity between studies was assessed with I2 and Q tests. Benchmarks were calculated using pre-post treatment means of the studies through aggregation of adjusted effect sizes and critical values.

Results

DBT aggregated effect sizes per subsample derived from RCTs and effectiveness studies are presented, along with critical values, categorised by age group (adults vs adolescents), mode of DBT treatment (full-programme vs skills-training) and per outcome measure (EQ-5D, BSL and DERS).

Conclusions

Practitioners from routine clinical practice delivering DBT and researchers can now use these benchmarks to evaluate their teams' performance according to their clients' outcomes, using the EQ-5D, BSL and DERS. Through benchmarking, teams can reflect on their teams' efficiency and determine if their delivery needs adjustment or if it is up to the standards of current empirical studies.

Normative reference interval for youths on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)

Background

The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) is widely used in both clinical and non-clinical research to assess emotional regulation difficulties. To guide interpretation of scores, establishing thresholds for normative DERS scores is informative. However, despite its widespread use, to date no study has provided such threshold for youths. This literature review aimed to fill this gap by examining the 90% reference interval for the DERS in youths aged 11-19 years.

Methods

We conducted a systematic search on PubMed (MEDLINE) on 12 March 2024, to identify studies reporting DERS-36 total scores (DERS-T) in youths aged 11-19 years from either community-based populations or healthy volunteers.

Results

A total of 34 studies were included; 20 studies included community-based participants (n = 6,960), while the remaining 14 studies included healthy volunteers (n = 766), resulting in a total of 7,726 participants. The 90% reference interval for DERS-T from all included participants had a threshold of 121.8 normative emotion regulation in youths.

Conclusion and significance

This threshold is considerably higher than DERS-T scores reported in most clinical studies and a substantial variation in reference intervals across studies is observed. We identify five main methodological factors related to the DERS-36 and discuss their potential impact on the validity, reliability, and generalizability of findings. Given the DERS-T range of 36-180, we conclude that the 90% reference interval derived from our review is not sufficiently robust to guide clinical or scientific interpretations. Our work is not exhaustive, and further research is needed to validate and test the reliability of this reference interval.

Implementation of Brief Admission by Self-Referral in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Sweden: Insights from Implementers and Staff

Brief admission by self-referral, which allows patients to briefly admit themselves to a psychiatric ward, is a crisis intervention designed to reduce suicide and self-harm. This method was introduced in Sweden for adult patients in 2015, achieving high patient satisfaction and good acceptance among staff. In 2018, the method was adapted and implemented in pediatric psychiatry. The present study comprehensively describes the multifaceted strategies for implementing brief admissions, including planning, education, financing, restructuring, quality management, and policy implementation and reform. It also includes staff's opinions of the practice of brief admissions for young people. Neither of these topics has been addressed in the existing literature. During the study period (April 2018-April 2021), 63 brief admission contracts were established. The number of new contracts increased exponentially (12.7%) per quarter (p < 0.05), and staff satisfaction with both the implementation and its benefits for unstable patients was high. Brief admission by self-referral can be successfully implemented in pediatric psychiatry and appears to be a functional crisis management method for adolescents.

Reporting Ethical Procedures in Suicide Prevention Research: Current Status and Recommendations

OBJECTIVE

Ethical concerns frequently arise in suicide prevention research regarding participant safety and confidentiality. Despite a substantial literature on managing and navigating ethical concerns in suicide research, little attention has been paid to the reporting of ethical procedures. Furthermore, standard procedures for reporting ethical risk management procedures have not been developed.

METHOD

A review of the current literature was performed to examine the current state of reporting of ethical procedures within suicide research. Articles published in 2020 (N = 263) from three suicide-focused publications were screened and then coded (n = 131) to identify reporting of procedures for the ethical conduct of research and suicide risk management steps taken by the research teams.

RESULTS

The majority of articles reported ethical review or approval (84.7%) and reported the use of an informed consent process (77.9%). Only 28.2% included risk mitigation procedures. Of those 29.7% of those articles reported conducting risk evaluation, 66.7% reported resource dissemination, and 51.4% reported an intervention.

CONCLUSION

As empirical support for brief interventions accrues, suicide prevention researchers should consider establishing standards for the reporting of procedures to ensure the safety of participants with suicidal risk.HighlightsReporting suicide safety protocols helps ensure high ethical standards in research.Fewer than 1/3 of articles reviewed reported risk mitigation procedures in 2020.Standard procedures for reporting safety protocols in suicide research are needed.

A randomized 3-month, parallel-group, controlled trial of CALMA m-health app as an adjunct to therapy to reduce suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors in adolescents: study protocol

Background

Suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors are among the leading causes of death and injury in adolescents and youth worldwide. Mobile app development could help people at risk and provide resources to deliver evidence-based interventions. There is no specific application for adolescents and young people available in Spanish. Our group developed CALMA, the first interactive mobile application with the user in Spanish, which provides tools based on Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to manage a crisis of suicidal or non-suicidal self-directed violence with the aim of preventing suicide in adolescents and youth.

Methods

To test the effectiveness, safety and level of engagement of the CALMA app in people aged 10 to 19 who are treated in mental health services of two public hospitals, we will conduct a parallel-group, two-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants will be assessed face-to-face and via video call at four timepoints: day-0 (baseline), day-30, day-60, and day-90. A total of 29 participants per group will be included. Change in the frequency of suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors will be compared between groups, as well as the level of emotional dysregulation, level of app engagement and time of psychiatric admission during the follow-up period.

Discussion

This study is particularly relevant to young people given their widespread use of mobile technology, while there are currently no available smartphone app-based self-guided psychological strategies in Spanish that attempt to reduce suicidal behavior in adolescents who are assisted in the public health sector from low and middle-income countries in Latin America.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT05453370.

Structural Racism and Suicide Prevention for Ethnoracially Minoritized Youth: A Conceptual Framework and Illustration Across Systems

Suicide rates among ethnoracially minoritized youth (i.e., youth of color) peak before the age of 30, and striking disparities in access to mental health services have been identified in this age group. However, suicide prevention strategies have yet to fully address structural racism as a mechanism in producing disparities in risk, protective factors, and access to quality effective intervention for youth of color. Such an approach is critical to provide more culturally responsive mental health care. Through an adapted socio-ecological model, the authors propose the Structural Racism and Suicide Prevention Systems Framework and illustrate pathways through which structural racism impacts suicide prevention and intervention for youth of color in the United States. The authors contextualize the impact of structural racism in three key settings where youth suicide prevention occurs: mental health services, schools, and the interface between crisis care and law enforcement. The authors posit that critical attention must be paid to the intersection of mutually reinforcing, interdependent systems rather than to systems in isolation. The authors then propose recommendations to address structural racism in suicide prevention, including macro-level interventions to improve societal conditions, research strategies to inform structural solutions, training approaches to address institutional racism, and clinical approaches to address the impact of racism and racial trauma on youths and families.

Implementation of a Mobile DBT App and Its Impact on Suicidality in Transitional Age Youth with Borderline Personality Disorder: A Qualitative Study

Contemporary performance and accessibility are features that enable mobile devices to be increasingly beneficial in the context of optimizing the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Smartphones have the potential to effectively support psychotherapeutic interventions among adolescents and young adults who require them. In the present study, the use and subjective influence of a smartphone app with content from dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was investigated among transitional age youth (TAY) with borderline personality disorder, focusing on suicidality and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), in a natural setting. A longitudinal qualitative approach was used by means of individual semi-structured interviews, where participants were asked about their experiences and associated emotions before and after a testing period of 30 days. A total of 13 TAY with a diagnosed borderline personality disorder between the ages of 18 and 23 were included. Six overarching themes were identified through qualitative text analysis: (1) experiences with DBT skills, (2) phenomenon of self-harm, (3) feelings connected with self-harm, (4) dealing with disorder-specific symptoms, (5) prevention of self-harm, and (6) attitude toward skills apps. In general, the provision of an app with DBT content achieved a positive response among participants. Despite a small change in the perception of suicidality and NSSI, participants could imagine its benefits by integrating their use of the app as a supportive measure for personal psychotherapy sessions.

Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Given the widespread nature and clinical consequences of self-harm and suicidal ideation among adolescents, establishing the efficacy of developmentally appropriate treatments that reduce both self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of broader adolescent psychopathology is critical.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) literature on treating self-injury in adolescents (12-19 years). We searched for eligible trials and treatment evaluations published prior to July 2020 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials. Twenty-one studies were identified [five randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), three controlled clinical trials (CCTs), and 13 pre-post evaluations]. We extracted data for predefined primary (self-harm, suicidal ideation) and secondary outcomes (borderline personality symptoms; BPD) and calculated treatment effects for RCTs/CCTs and pre-post evaluations. This meta-analysis was pre-registered with OSF: osf.io/v83e7.

RESULTS

Overall, the studies comprised 1673 adolescents. Compared to control groups, DBT-A showed small to moderate effects for reducing self-harm (g = -0.44; 95% CI -0.81 to -0.07) and suicidal ideation (g = -0.31, 95% CI -0.52 to -0.09). Pre-post evaluations suggested large effects for all outcomes (self-harm: g = -0.98, 95% CI -1.15 to -0.81; suicidal ideation: g = -1.16, 95% CI -1.51 to -0.80; BPD symptoms: g = -0.97, 95% CI -1.31 to -0.63).

CONCLUSIONS

DBT-A appears to be a valuable treatment in reducing both adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation. However, evidence that DBT-A reduces BPD symptoms was only found in pre-post evaluations.

Treatments for Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Youth: Progress and Challenges

Self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) remain a common clinical problem in youth. This article reviews the state of knowledge regarding psychosocial treatments for SITBs in youth. Broadly speaking, psychosocial treatments that incorporate parents/family and that emphasize skills development (including emotion regulation and interpersonal skills) appear to produce the best outcomes. We also describe several challenges to the implementation of evidence-based psychotherapy, as well as potential solutions to these challenges, and provide an illustrative case example. Finally, because even evidence-based psychosocial treatments can take weeks to produce effects, increased attention has been given to biological approaches such as esketamine administration and transcranial direct current stimulation that have potential to yield rapid improvement for acute suicidal ideation, though evidence for the safety and efficacy of these approaches is in the early stages.

Dialectical behavioral therapy for the treatment of adolescent eating disorders: a review of existing work and proposed future directions

Over the past several decades, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) has been adapted for a range of presenting problems related to emotion dysregulation. Considerable enthusiasm exists regarding the use of DBT for treating eating disorders; however, to date, there have been no reviews summarizing empirical efforts to adapt DBT for eating disorders in youth. Accordingly, in the present narrative review, we provide a comprehensive summary of existing work testing DBT for adolescent eating disorders. First, we briefly review existing work applying DBT to eating disorders in adults and general adolescent samples. We then review research focused specifically on the use of DBT for adolescent eating disorders, including both those studies applying DBT as the primary treatment and investigations of DBT as an adjunctive treatment. Overall, initial results for DBT-based approaches are promising. However, rigorous empirical work testing DBT for treating adolescent eating disorders remains limited; the majority of existing research is comprised of case series and small-scale studies. Therefore, we close with specific recommendations for future research testing this approach.

Preventing suicide, promoting resilience: Is this achievable from a global perspective?

Suicide continues to be a major health concern globally despite many initiatives to identify risk factors and methods for suicide prevention. We have carried out a detailed narrative review of the literature from 2016 to 2019 using the headings of Personal resilience (P1), People (P2), Places (P3), Prevention (P4), Promoting collaboration (P5), and Promoting research (P6) in order to support an integrated approach to suicide prevention and the promotion of personal and population resilience. We have made 10 key recommendations on how this can be moved forward.

Evidence Base Update of Psychosocial Treatments for Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Youth

The current review provides an evidence base update of psychosocial treatments for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in youth. A systematic search was conducted of 2 major scientific databases (PsycInfo and PubMed) and ClinicalTrials.gov for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published prior to June 2018. The search identified 26 RCTs examining interventions for SITBs in youth: 17 were included in the 2015 review and 9 trials were new to this update. The biggest change since the prior review was the evaluation of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for adolescents (DBT-A) as the first Level 1: Well-established intervention for reducing deliberate self-harm (composite of nonsuicidal and suicidal self-injury) and suicide ideation in youth and Level 2: Probably efficacious for reducing nonsuicidal self-injury and suicide attempts. Five other interventions were rated as Level 2: Probably efficacious for reducing SITBs in youth, with the new addition of Integrated Family Therapy. This evidence base update indicates that there are a few promising treatments for reducing SITBs in youth. Efficacious interventions typically include a significant family or parent training component as well as skills training (e.g., emotion regulation skills). Aside from DBT-A, few treatments have been examined in more than one RCT. Given that replication by independent research groups is needed to evaluate an intervention as Well-established, future research should focus on replicating the five promising interventions currently evaluated as Probably efficacious. In addition, an important future direction is to develop brief efficacious interventions that may be scalable to reach large numbers of youth.