'THE MANAGING EMOTIONS (ME) PROGRAM'

INTERVENTION: The Research is based on the attendance of Skills Training Groups only, no individual therapy. Each Weekly session is 2.5 hours in duration. At each session Diary cards are discussed, a mindfulness exercise is experienced by all attendees and then skills are taught, handouts are supplied and group discussion follows. In the 8 Week DBT Skills Training only program the final half hour of each weekly group will involve verbal discussion on when and where these skills will help individuals in the groups In the 8 Week DBT skills training plus art making the final half hour is dedicated to making an art exercise that specifically relates to the skills taught and a small discussion is conducted in sharing images at the end of group. 8 to 10 participants will attend an 8 week Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills training course. WEEK ONE ‐Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy‐What is ‘Wise Mind’ TWO ‐Concentration on the skill of Distress Tolerance ‘Wise Mind Accepts” THREE ‐Distress Tolerance skills of ‘Improving the Moment’ FOUR ‐ Mindfulness Observing, describing and participating in a non‐judgmental, one‐mindfully and effective manner ‐Mindfulness exercises – circuit . Identifying what we need to do to practice the options we have to improve and enjoy the moment mindfully using our 5 senses. FIVE ‐ Reality Acceptance‐ Willingness and Willfulness SIX ‐Understanding our emotions and Chain analysis Identifying and describing the difference between primary and secondary emotions and their functions SEVEN ‐ Goals of Interpersonal Effectiveness and How to communicate effectively. EIGHT ‐ Review of all diary cards and the skills you feel could assist you 8 to 10 participants will attend an 8 week Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills training course plus tailored art exercises. Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Informed Skills Training and Art Exercises 8 week program WEEK ONE ‐ Introduction to Dialectical Behaviour Therapy‐What is ‘Wise Mind’. ART EXERCISE ‐ How Skills could help build frame around us. What would Wise Mind look like? Coloured pencils TWO ‐ Concentration on the skill of Distress Tolerance ‘Wise Mind Accepts” ART EXERCISE ‐ To identify what kind of distress tolerance strategies may help – create 7 tools before action – Texters and collage THREE ‐ Distress Tolerance skills of ‘Improving the Moment’ ART EXERCISE ‐ Creating an object or image of the ‘cheerleader’ within to keep one safe whilst practicing the skills‐ clay FOUR ‐ Mindfulness ‐ Observing, describing and participating in a non‐judgmental, one‐mindfully and effective manner. Mindfulness exercises – circuit . Identifying what we need to do to practice the options we have to improve and enjoy the moment mindfully ‐ using our 5 senses ART EXERCISE ‐ What did it feel like to be mindful? ' watercolours' FIVE ‐ Reality Acceptance‐ Willingness and Willfulness ART EXERCISE ‐ Creating a representation of “Willingness” – what can you accept right now?‐ texters, oil pastels, collage. SIX ‐ Understanding our emotions and Chain analysis Identifying and describing the difference between primary and secondary emotions and their functions ART EXERCISE ‐ After experiencing a primary emotion, how many secondary emotions d you experience represented by Acrylic paints on canvass SEVEN ‐ Goals of Interpersonal Effectiveness and How to communicate effectively. ART EXERCISE ‐ When I communicate well ‘How do I look” ‐ construction found materials EIGHT ‐ Review of all diary cards and the skills you feel could assist you Review of all artwork. Creating an image that represents a tool box full of the skills you find most useful A key component of DBT is teaching a client to stay a little longer than before with feeling emotional pain, validating and accepting their experience whilst moving towards changes in behaviours. The skill of managing difficult emotions is paramount to being able to gain or maintain balance in a life that has meaning and fulfilment, free from self‐harm, anxiety, depression and a sense of emptiness. Adding the experience of creating images can help patients learn skills in two very different ways, verbally and experientially. Patients leave group with a concrete, original item or object to remind themselves of the skills they have learned.. Facilitators of Groups ‐ All facilitators will receive a 74 page Manual prepared by the Prinicpal Researcher. The facilitators will attend the training free of charge and will receive a 'Certificate of Attendance' that provides 14 professional development hours with the following organizations who have endorsed the training for professional development points. Australian and New Zealand Arts Therapy Association ANZATA Australian Association of Social Workers AASW Australian Counselling Association ACA Australian Council of Mental Health Nurses ACMHN The training is also listed on Australian Psychological Society webpage A CONDITION: Emotion Dysregulation Impulsive behaviour PRIMARY OUTCOME: Facilitator confidence in using DBT, measured using a numerical rating scale (0‐5) ; ; ; Primary outcome 3 ‐ Outcome Rate Scale (ORS) ‐ Assessing how participant feels in the following areas. Personal well‐being, Interpersonally with family/close relationships, Socially ‐ work, friendships, Overall ‐ general sense of well‐being The aims of the research are to test a DBT‐Art approach along side a standard DBT control for efficacy ; ; Data will be collected from both the DBT only 8 week Skills Training program and the DBT 8 week program with art making. The following data will be measured: ; DBT ‘Ways of coping’ checklist . ; A Detailed Questionnaire representing ways that the participant has coped with stressful events in your life. The questionnaire measures the use of 59 coping strategies from 'Never used, Rarely used, Sometimes used, Regularly used. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; SECONDARY OUTCOME: Secondary outcome 1 ; Confidence in control of Emotions scale developed by Principal Investigator Secondary outcome 2 ; Participant's Diary Card ‐ Measuring urges to act on behaviours and actions taken. Also measure of emotional response. This is a composite secondary outcome. Secondary outcome 3 ; A focus group will be held at the end of both 8 week programs to assess the satisfaction rate of all participants in both groups. ; ; The participants in the 8 week DBT skills training group with art exercises attached will also be asked the following. ; What did you feel about using Creativity/art making alongside DBT Skills? Did in add value to the program Yes or No? INCLUSION CRITERIA: Participants referred to attend both 8 week programs will have a history of mental health issues specifically related to difficulty in managing or regulating emotions. They will be referred from a variety of mental health sources. They will have presented to General Practitioners, Psychiatrists or Psychologists or other mental health providers with a history of emotional dysregulation. Facilitators will be asked to complete a 'DERS' Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Gratz,K.L. & Roemer, L. (2004) with potential participants.