Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills — MRCPsych Paper B MCQ

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ModeratePsychotherapyInterpersonal Effectiveness SkillsMRCPsych Paper B

A 30-year-old man with borderline personality disorder attends a dialectical behaviour therapy skills group. He is taught to describe the facts of a disagreement, express his feelings, assert what he wants, reinforce cooperation, remain focused, appear confident and negotiate. In which DBT skills module is this technique taught?

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Correct answer: E — Interpersonal effectiveness

The correct answer is **B, interpersonal effectiveness**. The sequence described is DEAR MAN: Describe, Express, Assert, Reinforce, stay Mindful, Appear confident and Negotiate. It is used for objective effectiveness—making requests, saying no and pursuing interpersonal goals assertively. Mindfulness develops non-judgemental present-moment awareness, although remaining mindful is one component of DEAR MAN. Emotion regulation addresses understanding and modifying emotional responses, while distress tolerance concerns surviving crises without making them worse. Walking the middle path is principally an additional DBT skills domain developed for adolescents and families; it is not the adult assertiveness module containing DEAR MAN.

Reference: Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust. Personality Disorders Information Pack, section on Interpersonal Effectiveness, 2025. https://www.eput.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/personality-disorders-information-pack_v7.pdf