Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-21-2026
Abstract
School mental health issues have become an increasingly important issue for our youth. Schools are a vital resource for providing prevention-based services to students. This study evaluated a pilot implementation of a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) based skills intervention in a single high school in the Midwest. The sample included a convenience sample of 39 students from three different teachers across three trimesters. Social-emotional learning (SEL) skills, DBT skill use, dysfunctional coping, fidelity, and intervention attendance information were collected. We used a hybrid fixed effects/multi-level model to evaluate the effects of the intervention (McNeish, 2023). Students increased their use of DBT-based skills (b = 0.18, SE = 0.07), decreased their use of dysfunctional coping skills (b = -0.12, SE = 0.07), and increased their overall SEL skills (b = 2.59, SE = 2.02). There were significant differences in implementation fidelity across teachers (η2 = 0.18); however, only one teacher in one trimester had implementation fidelity slightly below 90%. Lastly, there were non-significant correlations between attendance, previous DBT exposure, and gender on changes in SEL, DBT skill use, or dysfunctional coping. Limitations and future research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Izumi, J.T., Walczak, B., Elizalde, J.K. et al. Preliminary Evaluation of a Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Skills Training Class for High School Students. Contemp School Psychol (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-025-00561-8
Peer Reviewed
1
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Curriculum and Social Inquiry Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons, Secondary Education Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Contemporary School Psychology in 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40688-025-00561-8