Non-Suicidal Self-Injury at the Clínic

At the Child and Youth Psychiatry and Psychology Department at Hospital Clínic, we offer a Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) programme, with over 10 years of experience in its implementation. DBT is an evidence-based treatment designed for adolescents and their families who experience severe emotional dysregulation, self-harm, suicidal behaviour, or other difficulties that interfere with the adolescent’s everyday life. This therapy balances acceptance and change-based approaches, and includes both individual psychotherapy and multi-family group sessions.  

In the multi-family groups, adolescents and their main caregivers learn skills in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness and conflict resolution between parents and children.  

The aim of treatment is to teach new skills, giving adolescents and families the tools they need to manage severe emotional dysregulation and reduce problematic behaviours. This is a highly structured programme lasting around 16 weeks, requiring therapeutic commitment from both the adolescent and their family.  

The programme is offered at the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centres (CSMIJ) in Esquerra de l’Eixample, in the Eating Disorders Programme, and in the Day Hospital.  

Research into self-harm forms part of the wider investigation into affective disorders carried out through the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), specifically within the Child and Youth Psychiatry and Psychology department. 

Main research lines include: 

• Studies on therapeutic approaches to self-harm: “Clinical and Brain Changes Associated with Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Applied in Adolescents with Suicidal Behaviour.” This research has produced several publications demonstrating the effectiveness of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy in reducing self-harm compared to other treatments of similar intensity, as well as identifying the brain circuits involved in severe emotional dysregulation, which may be predictors of treatment response.  
• Studies on the prevalence and clinical implications of self-harm, in collaboration with the GRETA group (Group for the Study and Treatment of Self-Harm) and other hospitals across Catalonia. 
• We are currently conducting a study on the design and evaluation of the effectiveness of a mobile app-based intervention for managing self-injury, funded by La Marató de 3Cat.