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DBT TIPP Skills — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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ModeratePsychotherapyDBT TIPP SkillsMRCPsych Paper B

A 28-year-old woman with borderline personality disorder attends dialectical behaviour therapy skills training. She is taught the TIPP crisis-survival skill to reduce acute physiological arousal during periods of intense emotion. Which components make up TIPP?

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Correct answer: C — Tip the temperature; intense exercise; paced breathing; paired muscle relaxation

TIPP comprises **tip the temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing and paired muscle relaxation**. It belongs to the distress-tolerance component of DBT and is used as a crisis-survival strategy when intense emotion is accompanied by marked physiological arousal. The techniques act through rapid changes in bodily state rather than by analysing or solving the precipitating problem. Imagery and problem-solving may be used elsewhere in psychological therapy but are not components of TIPP. Interpersonal rehearsal relates more closely to interpersonal-effectiveness work, while thought stopping and progressive exposure are not part of this DBT acronym. Paired muscle relaxation specifically coordinates muscle tension and release with breathing.

Reference: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust. DBT Skills for Distress During Coronavirus: TIPP section. 2020. https://mft.nhs.uk/app/uploads/2020/04/DBT-coronavirus.pdf