Changes in therapists’ knowledge of symptom management and stabilization following program co-participation with dissociative patients

Abstract

Few professionals in the mental health field receive systematic training in treating trauma-related symptoms and disorders, including dissociative disorders (DD). Experts in the field of treating DDs recommend building stabilization skills early in treatment to improve emotion regulation and safety, yet research on DD therapists’ actual practices suggest that they are engaging in these practices less than recommended. DD patients may benefit from therapists learning more about emotion regulation and trauma symptom management towards stabilizing difficult experiences and risky, unhealthy, or unsafe behaviors. The current study considered whether an international group of therapists who participated alongside their DD patients in a 2-year Internet-based psychoeducational program demonstrated changes in knowledge related to symptom management and stabilization techniques. Therapists answered five free-form text questions related to DD symptom management and stabilization at baseline, mid-point, and end of the study. Results showed that significant changes in therapist knowledge were evident between baseline and mid-point, as well as between the baseline and the end of the study, with effect sizes ranging from small to large. Compared to when they began the study, therapists were better able to understand their DD patients’ reasons for self-injury, recognize warning signs of unsafe behaviors, identify coping skills, and identify skills to manage overwhelming feelings and intrusive traumatic content. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed.