This project entailed adapting the group skills training component of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (Linehan, 1993; DBT), an empirically validated treatment for patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), for use with individuals with moderate cognitive impairment (MOD-CI). Materials for an eight session program were created along with related materials to facilitate pilot testing of the program. The adapted group skills treatment program was evaluated by five clinicians with proficiency in DBT and/or neuropsychology.

This dissertation provides a strong rationale for using a group-oriented DBT for this population. First, many of the diagnostic features and treatment needs of people with BPD and those with MOD-CI are similar, and DBT's effectiveness has been empirically validated for people with BPD. Second, people with both of these disorders share skills deficits that can be conceptualized using the DBT skills training classification: mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and distress tolerance. Third, the group treatment modality has been found to be effective, or show promise, in both people with BPD and those with MOD-CI. Lastly, the results of a pilot study that adapted the group component of DBT for people with cognitive impairment, provided support for further evaluation of the group skills training modules of DBT for this population. It is hoped that this novel application of DBT will provide a new intervention resource for therapists who work with individuals with cognitive impairment.