Evaluation of DBT Skills: Construction and Validation of the DBT-H Scale

Background: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a psychotherapeutic program developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Given the conceptualization of behavioral problems as the result of a skills deficit, skills training is presumed to be one of the primary active components of the DBT program. It is therefore essential to be able to assess the learning and use of DBT skills to manage life problems. The main objective of the study was to develop and validate the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Skills (Habilidades in spanish) scale (DBT-H) in the Argentine context. The DBT-H was designed to measure five key dimensions: Mindfulness, Interpersonal Effectiveness, Emotional Regulation, Distress Tolerance, and Radical Acceptance. Methods: A convenience non-clinical sample of 1006 Argentine adults was assessed (58.3% women, 40.6% men, and 1.1% identified as “non-binary”), with an age range from 18 to 80 years (M = 42.33; SD = 13.21). We analyze the DBT-H, along with standard measures, including the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Results: Initial descriptive analysis confirmed that all DBT-H items adequately contributed to their respective subscales, with high item-total correlation and no skewness or kurtosis biases affecting their distribution. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the five-factor structure, consistent with the DBT skills components proposed by Linehan. Higher DBT-H scores were reliably associated with greater life satisfaction (SWLS) and mindfulness (MAAS). This relationship suggests that DBT skills effectively contribute to improving well-being and mindful awareness in individuals. Additionally, higher DBT-H scores correlated with fewer difficulties in emotional regulation (DERS), indicating a direct link between mastery of DBT skills and better emotional regulation. Conclusion: The validation of the DBT-H as a reliable and valid tool for assessing DBT skills in the Argentine context is a significant step toward studying the efficacy of various interventions.