Mood and personality disorders can manifest in an incredibly diverse range of presentations, and it is essential to tailor treatments to the client while adhering to a high standard of care. Therapists can accomplish this by using evidence-based therapy, a psychotherapeutic approach that is grounded in rigorous scientific research. A treatment that qualifies as evidence-based therapy is one that has been shown — often through randomized controlled trials — to effectively treat or manage specific mental health conditions. It doesn’t refer to a particular set of procedures, rather a standard of efficacy demonstrated using the most effective research tools available.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) provides approaches that have been shown to alleviate many of the symptoms and underlying causes of mood and personality disorders. Through DBT skills, clients can learn to manage intense emotions, reduce self-destructive behaviors, and improve relationships. As a treatment that was initially developed to address borderline personality disorder (BPD), DBT has a particularly strong evidence base in treating that issue, but its scope has expanded significantly to include other mood and behavioral disorders as well.