The strongest evidence exists for DBT as a treatment for people with borderline personality disorder. However, DBT has been found to be effective for a wide variety of other mental health conditions. Listed below are the conditions for which DBT has been found to be effective through at least one randomized controlled trial (evidence-based mental health care).

• Borderline personality disorder, including those with co-occurring:
  • Suicidal and self-harming behavior
  • Substance use disorder
  • Posttraumatic stress disorder
  • High irritability
• Cluster B personality disorders (dramatic, overly emotional or unpredictable thinking or behavior)
• Self-harming individuals with personality disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Posttraumatic stress disorder related to childhood sexual abuse
• Major depression, including:
  • Treatment resistant major depression
  • Older adults with chronic depression and one or more personality disorders
• Bipolar disorder
• Transdiagnostic emotion dysregulation (emotion regulation difficulties across different disorders)
• Suicidal and self-harming adolescents
• Pre-adolescent children with severe emotional and behavioral dysregulation
• Binge eating disorder
• Bulimia nervosa