Study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry reports high remission rates in suicidal behavior among youths following with certain kinds of therapy. 

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, found that a high percentage of youth will experience periods of remission and recovery of suicide attempts during and after treatment with dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Rates of remission and recovery were higher for DBT than supportive therapy. These findings support DBT as a first line treatment for suicide prevention in youth.

The study analyzed data from 173 teens who were randomly assigned to receive 6 months of DBT or supportive therapy. Youth were followed for an additional 6 months after completing treatment. Suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-injury were measured every three months during treatment and follow-up.

The study demonstrated promising outcomes with over 70% of the youth reporting remission of suicide attempts at each treatment and follow up interval. DBT yielded significantly higher rates of remission than supportive therapy, with 83% of youth who received DBT reporting remission at 3-6 months and 86% at 9-12 months, as compared to 62% and 66% for supportive therapy. DBT recovery rates (remission across two or more 3-month intervals) were lower than remission rates (ranging from 58% to 74%), with lower rates for longer time periods. Percentages of remission and recovery for non-suicidal self-injury were lower than those for suicide attempts, across both types of treatment.

Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for 10–14-year-olds and the 3rd leading cause of death for 15–24-year-olds in the United States. Effective treatment approaches are urgently needed. Results suggest that DBT may reduce suicide risk in a high percentage of youth by leading to periods of remission of suicide attempts. Additional research is needed to increase the percentage of youth with sustained remission of suicide attempts over time, as well as to increase percentages of remission of non-suicidal self-injury.

Study author, Dr Michele Berk, associate professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University says, “remission rates are commonly provided to patients and families for other life-threatening illnesses, but little is known about remission rates in response to suicide-focused treatments. This study provides patients and families with critical information needed to make decisions about treatment options.”

She adds, “Increasing the availability DBT is an important goal for youth suicide prevention.”


Full bibliographic information

Published on 09/09/2024 by Elsevier
The article is “Remission, Recovery, Relapse, and Recurrence Rates for Suicide Attempts and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury for Suicidal Youth Treated With Dialectical Behavior Therapy or Supportive Therapy,” by Michele S. Berk, PhD, Robert Gallop, PhD, Joan R. Asarnow, PhD, Molly C. Adrian, PhD, Jennifer L. Hughes, PhD, MPH, Elizabeth McCauley, PhD
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2024.01.012
Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, volume 63, issue 9 (September 2024)