(PS6-94) Changes in Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, and Distress Tolerance After Receiving Dialectical Behavior Therapy Adapted for Racial Trauma: Preliminary Findings

Emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance are critical components of psychological well-being frequently targeted in therapeutic interventions. For people of color (POC) experiencing racial trauma, these skills are particularly crucial given the unique emotional and psychological burdens of ongoing discrimination, microaggressions, and systemic inequities. Racial trauma can develop due to prolonged exposure to discrimination and can significantly impact mental health, manifesting in symptoms such as chronic stress, heightened vigilance, emotional dysregulation, and reduced psychological resilience. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), originally designed for people experiencing intense emotional dysregulation and facing invalidating environments, may be an effective treatment for racial trauma, as discrimination can cause emotional dysregulation and can be considered an invalidating environment for POC. 

The current study is investigating changes in emotion regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance among POC experiencing racial trauma after receiving DBT that has been specifically adapted for racial trauma. The intervention incorporated culturally informed modifications, including explicit discussions about racism and racial trauma, culturally relevant mindfulness exercises, validation of racial identity experiences, and targeted skills for coping with race-related stressors. The objective of our study is to identify underlying mechanisms of change to further develop effective interventions for racial trauma. As we were interested in investigating the roles of emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness, we asked p</span>articipants to complete the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale – Short Form (DERS-SF), Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), and Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) before and after treatment to assess change. 

Data collection is still ongoing and is expected to finish in late spring of 2025. Preliminary findings from our treatment completers thus far (n=5) highlight promising improvements across all measured domains: DERS-SF scores decreased from pre-treatment (M=51.4, SD=15.98) to post-treatment (M=45.8, SD=9.51), DTS scores improved from pre-treatment (M=42.4, SD=12.95) to post-treatment (M=56.2, SD=8.82), and FFMQ scores increased from pre-treatment (M=47.4, SD=5.55) to post-treatment (M=54.6, SD=9.13). However, we recognize that our interpretations are limited due to the small sample of treatment completers included in our preliminary analysis. Our preliminary findings suggest that DBT adapted for racial trauma is effective in improving psychological processes important for well-being and resilience. Future studies should further investigate the pathways in which these processes promote change and symptom improvement amongst POC with racial trauma. Furthermore, future studies should investigate which specific facets of emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness are crucial to change. Identifying said mechanisms and facets will lay important groundwork in developing evidence-based interventions for racial trauma in the future.