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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Training to Improve Turkish College Students’ Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Feasibility Study

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Abstract

The primary objective of this pilot study was to consider the feasibility of whether Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills training could improve Turkish college students’ psychological well-being by equipping them with effective skills. The study examined the use of DBT skills training with sophomore and junior Turkish college students self-identifying with adjustment-related issues (settling and transition). Participants attended an initial 8-week skills program combined with 12-weeks follow-up training. Students’ depression, anxiety and stress scores all improved after both the initial and follow-up training compared to initial scores. This preliminary evidence suggests potential feasibility for using DBT skills training in college settings.

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Author notes

  1. A. Meltem Üstündağ-Budak, Ezgi Özeke Kocabaş and André Ivanoff contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Psychology, Bahçeşehir University, Istanbul, Turkey

    A. Meltem Üstündağ-Budak

  2. The Department of Educational Sciences, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Ezgi Özeke-Kocabaş

  3. Columbia University in the city of New York & Linehan Institute, Seattle, WA, USA

    André Ivanoff

Authors
  1. A. Meltem Üstündağ-Budak
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  2. Ezgi Özeke-Kocabaş
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  3. André Ivanoff
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Meltem Üstündağ-Budak.

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Ethical standards were adhered to and informed consent was obtained from all participants to take part in the study. Participants were free to withdraw from the study at any time.

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Üstündağ-Budak, A.M., Özeke-Kocabaş, E. & Ivanoff, A. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills Training to Improve Turkish College Students’ Psychological Well-Being: A Pilot Feasibility Study. Int J Adv Counselling 41, 580–597 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10447-019-09379-5

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