What is the primary treatment target in DBT for Borderline Personality Disorder?

• A. Social skills training only.
• B. Pharmacotherapy as the primary target.
• C. Cognitive restructuring only.
• D. Emotional dysregulation and coping skills (distress tolerance).

Answer: (D)

The main aim of DBT in Borderline Personality Disorder is to reduce emotional chaos by teaching concrete skills to regulate emotions and cope with distress. Emotional dysregulation is a core problem in BPD, and DBT focuses on giving patients practical tools to calm intense feelings and respond to crises without self-destructiveness. Distress tolerance skills, in particular, help individuals endure painful emotions in the moment without turning to self-harm or impulsive acts, while emotion regulation skills help identify, understand, and modulate these emotions over time. While social skills, cognitive strategies, and medications can play supportive roles, they are not the primary target of DBT.