A Call to Increase Cultural Responsiveness and Accessibility of Dialectical Behavior Therapy: Commentary on Jakubovic and Drabick (2023)

Comments on the article by Jakubovic and Drabick (see record 2023-74553-001). This commentary is both about dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and not about DBT—it is a dialectic. The current authors briefly summarize key strengths from the Jakubovic and Drabick article and contextualize the findings, particularly as they relate to communities that are most likely to be impacted by disparities mentioned by the authors in their introduction. Specifically, the current authors briefly discuss health inequities as they impact youth who are Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) and/or LGBTQ+. Relatedly, the current authors review and discuss the importance of increasing cultural responsiveness when delivering DBT, particularly within adolescent populations. Finally, the current authors call to action mental health professionals to engage in advocacy, including within policymaking processes, in order to increase access to DBT and expand its reach to communities that are most in need of its utility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)