Dialectical behaviour therapy effective in overcoming suicidal thoughts: Study

Patiala, August 20

A research conducted at Punjabi University here has shed light on the effectiveness of dialectical behaviour therapy in dealing with suicidal ideation.

The research, conducted by Amandeep Singh under the guidance of Harprit Kaur, claims the mental condition of those who had undergone the therapy improved and they overcame thoughts of impending suicide or self-harm. The university said the research had received two international-level awards.

The researchers used the therapy on 100 youths from 18 districts of Punjab, who had thoughts of suicide or self-harm, in two phases. They studied the psychological predictors of mental conditions of all individuals and identified those who were to be administered the therapy in the first phase. After the therapy, the data regarding the improvement in their mental state was compared to that of the remaining youths.

Dr Harprit Kaur said the results showed that the DB therapy had been found effective in dealing with such cases.

The remaining youths were then administered the same therapy. Amandeep Singh said, “The results then showed that their mental condition had greatly improved as they had overcome the thoughts of impending suicide or self-harm. We found that improvement persisted on monitoring them after six months.”

Vice-Chancellor Arvind said it was a good thing to come out with such a research which exhibited the responsibility and commitment of the university towards society.