Mini Workshop 21 - Treating Chronic Depression, Restrictive Eating, Maladaptive Perfectionism and Loneliness: A Brief Introduction to Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Disorders of Overcontrol

Clients struggling with chronic depression, anorexia nervosa, social anxiety, avoidant or obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, and autism suffer greatly, and may often be described as ‘treatment resistant’. Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO DBT) is a transdiagnostic and evidence-based treatment that targets a spectrum of disorders characterised by excessive inhibitory control or overcontrol, common in clients with these diagnoses. Overcontrolled clients tend to be rigid, perfectionistic, risk-avoidant, emotionally constricted, have high moral certitude, and often experience social isolation and emotional loneliness.

RO DBT aims to enhance social connectedness and mental wellbeing in overcontrolled clients by teaching them skills to express their emotions and intentions in a context-appropriate manner, improve their flexibility, and enhance their openness to new learning and experiences. The treatment is fully manualized (Lynch, 2018) and research has demonstrated that RO DBT is effective for adults and adolescents with anorexia nervosa, chronic depression, personality disorders and autism spectrum disorders (for a systematic review, see Hatoum & Burton, 2024).

This introductory-level workshop provides an overview of RO DBT and the clinical population it is designed to treat for mental health practitioners who are not yet familiar with RO DBT. The aim is for clinicians to be able to make a more informed decision after attending this workshop on whether RO DBT is suitable for their clients and whether they want to implement RO DBT in their practice. The instructors will use slides and case examples, and there will be ample time for questions.

Recommended Reading 1: Lynch, T. R., Hempel, R. J., Whalley, B., Byford, S., Chamba, R., Clarke, P., Clarke, S., Kingdon, D. G., O'Mahen, H., Remington, B., Rushbrook, S. C., Shearer, J., Stanton, M., Swales, M., Watkins, A., & Russell, I. T. (2020). Refractory depression - mechanisms and efficacy of radically open dialectical behaviour therapy (RefraMED): findings of a randomised trial on benefits and harms. British Journal of Psychiatry, 216(4), 204-212. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2019.53

Recommended Reading 2: Hatoum, A. H., & Burton, A. L. (2024). Applications and efficacy of radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO DBT): A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Advance online publication(1097-4679 (Electronic)). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23735

Recommended Reading 3: Baudinet, J., Stewart, C., Bennett, E., Konstantellou, A., Parham, R., Smith, K., Hunt, K., Eisler, I., & Simic, M. (2021). Radically open dialectical behaviour therapy adapted for adolescents: a case series. BMC Psychiatry, 21(1), 462. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03460-3