LAUSR

Accessible summary Dialectical behaviour therapy is a “talking” therapy developed by Marsha Linehan. It helps people who are living in the community and also living in hospitals and people who may have problems managing their emotions. In recent years, dialectical behaviour therapy has been used to help people with learning disabilities cope with feelings of anxiety, trauma-related disorders and mood disorders, but there are not many research papers showing how it is used in forensic learning disability services. This research tells the story of seven women with learning disabilities who took part in dialectical behaviour therapy whilst living in a forensic service. Their story and experiences are important in research literature and will help other services to think about what is needed when they introduce a new type of therapy such as dialectical behaviour therapy . AbstractBackground This research aimed to capture the experiences of women with learning disabilities living in secure services who undertook dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT); they were the first people to do this in the trust. It is hoped their experiences may guide and inform other services undertaking the same process. Materials and Methods Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was used to provide a flexible framework to make sense of the way the women interpreted their experiences. Results and Discussion The analysis identified three main themes: How you do DBT, What we think about DBT, Using DBT. The qualitative approach adds a valuable contribution to the wider literature, highlighting the importance of capturing the women's voices. Conclusion As most published literature regarding the effectiveness of DBT is not written from first hand service user experiences, it is hoped this research offers a unique insight into these women's experience.