Developing a Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Based Addiction Prevention Package for Adolescents: A Qualitative Study
Keywords:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Addiction Prevention, Adolescents, Emotion Regulation, Qualitative Study, MindfulnessAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to design and validate an addiction prevention training package for adolescents based on the theoretical and practical framework of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
Methods and Materials: This qualitative research was conducted using conventional content analysis following the Hsieh and Shannon (2005) approach. Relevant literature on DBT and adolescent addiction was systematically reviewed according to inclusion and exclusion criteria until theoretical saturation was reached. Data analysis identified two core dimensions in DBT (pathology and interventions) and two major dimensions in adolescent addiction (predisposing and protective factors). The DBT dimensions included emotional vulnerability, invalidating environment, and emotion dysregulation, while the intervention dimension encompassed individual and group skill training (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness). Adolescent addiction dimensions included family, individual, social, educational, and policy factors. Using Yusefi and Golparvar’s (2023) seven-step model, these dimensions were integrated to develop the prevention package. The content and structure of the program were reviewed and validated by university faculty and clinical psychologists specializing in adolescent psychotherapy.
Findings: A ten-session DBT-based educational package was developed and validated. The content analysis yielded 106 primary codes for adolescent addiction and 75 for DBT. Expert evaluation confirmed the conceptual alignment and cultural adaptability of the package, with high inter-rater agreement indicating strong content validity. The sessions emphasized dialectical thinking, mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal communication, each tailored to adolescent developmental needs and contextualized within Iranian cultural norms.
Conclusion: The developed DBT-based prevention package provides a structured, evidence-informed educational framework to enhance adolescents’ emotional regulation, resilience, and interpersonal skills, thereby reducing susceptibility to substance use. Its theoretical rigor and cultural fit suggest strong potential for school- and community-level implementation in adolescent addiction prevention programs.
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