Potential Applications of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy in Middle School Students Across Levels of Functioning, Well-Being, Diagnosis, and Lack of Diagnosis

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) would be well-suited to help make middle school a more pleasant and healthy experience for adolescents across all levels of mental health and general functioning. DBT has been shown to be effective in treating some of the most common mental illnesses in adolescents, like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), as well as non-clinical issues like school refusal. DBT was designed to treat symptoms including impulsivity, mood swings, unstable interpersonal relationships, self-destructive actions, ineffective communication, and difficulty controlling emotions, all of which are characteristics associated with even normal adolescents. A DBT skill curriculum could be implemented in middle school homerooms, giving every child the chance to access DBT regardless of level of mental health, externalizing symptoms, wellbeing, health insurance, socioeconomic class, and family stigma. Learning healthy coping mechanisms, effective communication techniques, ways to keep emotions regulated, and methods to stay aware of one\u27s own feelings and surroundings might even have a protective effect on the children