Distress Tolerance Skills for College Students: A Pilot Investigation of a Brief DBT Group Skills Training Program

This report outlines the evaluation of a brief dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) group skills training program for students presenting with serious psychological concerns (referral reasons included suicidality, self-injury, and substance use). Students were enrolled in distress tolerance groups ranging from 7–10 weeks. The majority of the students in the sample were receiving psychiatric medication, individual therapy, or both. All students (N = 22) demonstrated significantly improved scores on measures of emotion regulation and functional and dysfunctional coping. These results are the first to show that targeted skills training with DBT mindfulness and distress tolerance skills can produce beneficial outcomes in college students in the context of a short-term intervention.