The lived experience of engaging with mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy: an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the experiences of adolescents and practitioners

Abstract

Background: Dialectical Behaviour Therapy has been developed to treat what has been termed multi-problem adolescents (Miller et al., 2006) and as such is being used within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in the UK. Mindfulness is an element of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy which, although studied widely as part of other interventions, has not been fully examined in relation to its use with adolescents in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. The aim of this thesis was to demonstrate historical development of mindfulness as a clinical treatment; the body of research in relation mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and to understand how adolescents and practitioners experience mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy as taught in clinical practice. .

Methods: This Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study recruited 16 participants from differing service user and provider perspectives from four NHS service. Single face to face interviews we carried out with resulting transcripts undergoing thematic analysis.

Findings: Eight superordinate themes were generated underlying two higher order concepts: a struggle with uncertainty and challenge and developing internal awareness with caution.

Conclusions: The study offers insight into the experience of mindfulness in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy from the perspective of adolescents and practitioners. The implications of this study have been considered in terms of clinical practice, future research and policy development. Recommendations have been made about orienting Dialectical Behaviour Therapy teaching towards self-compassion, trauma sensitive and interpersonal mindfulness and to considering the specific needs of adolescents in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to enable this group to access mindfulness.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Dawn-Marie Walker: orcid.org/0000-0003-2135-1363

ORCID for Tracy Long-Sutehall: orcid.org/0000-0002-6661-9215

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